Of Toymakers and Lawyers
by Varmint
Summary: Bofur is a homeless man that travels from city to city with the hope that someone would show him kindness. And he finds that kindness with the Durin brothers, whom offer him a place to stay as long as he becomes their maid. With his new job come new stresses- including taking care of rich brats and cleaning- but the biggest must be Thorin. The rowdy boys' handsome uncle. Modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **Bofur is a homeless man, struggling to find any place that would hire him. He went from city to city, hoping that someone would show him kindness. And he finds that kindness with the Durin brothers, whom offer him a place to stay as long as he becomes their 'maid'. Now, this usually would be humiliating for Bofur, but having lived on only scraps and rags for the past five years, he doesn't find himself so embarrassed whenever the brothers try their best to humiliate him. Well, that is until he finds out their uncle is one of the most breathtaking men he has ever met…

"The winter's pretty cold…" Bofur muttered to himself as he rubbed his hands over his arms, hoping to find some warmth.

It was the middle of the Christmas season in New York City, meaning snow was everywhere and most smart people were already inside their homes, warm and protected from the bitter winds outside. Unfortunately, even if Bofur was smart enough to know this, he didn't have the recourses to warm himself in a safe environment.

He had been homeless for the past five years because of some bad business decisions and even worse love choices so he could never find much shelter for a prolonged amount of time. Sure, there were the shelters, but he didn't feel like being harassed for his custom made hat tonight.

"Another winter without home…" He sighed as his eyes drifted to find a young couple laughing and hugging, rushing their way to warmth.

Now Bofur wasn't usually a sad man. He chose to see the glass half full rather than empty, but he wasn't completely ignorant. He hadn't seen his family ever since he came to America which had been more than ten years ago. And he knew that he had missed out on a lot. His cousin Bifur got himself into quite a predicament that left a rather large dent in their monetary balance and his younger brother, Bombur, got married. He even had children now, and Bofur wasn't around for any of these moments.

He had come to America hoping to open his own toyshop. He had started out by becoming an artisan and selling his creations to whoever would buy them, and with the money had made he hoped he could both buy himself a small space to claim as his toy shop and bring his cousin over to help him with the toy making.

A year into his 'adventure' Bifur was mugged. That was nothing unusual or usual in their small town on the outskirts of Scotland- these kinds of things happen everywhere, you see- but it left lasting effects on their family. Bifur was never the same again.

"Hey, you bum! Watch where you're going!"

Bofur's reverie was interrupted abruptly by harsh hands falling onto his shoulders, knocking him down so quickly that he didn't even have time to notice he had fallen, just that he was now somehow on the floor and there was an angry young man fuming over him.

"You're useless, you know? Not only do you damage this fine city's ambiance with your pitiful self, but you also can't seem to notice where you're walking!"

"Jeff, come on, we don't watch where we're going at times, it's only human."

That was when Bofur noticed there was a young boy standing beside the angry young man, but he was much shorter and younger than the one that had knocked him down.

"Shut up, Sam! He's a bum, he's useless, and he got my jacket dirty! He needs to be taught a lesson!" The young man, Jeff, growled at the young boy, which made him whimper and run back.

"I'm going to tell mom!" Sam screamed as he took off running, making Bofur follow him.

There was a woman sitting down on a bench with dozens of bags surrounding her, letting him know she had just finished some last-minute Christmas shopping.

"Look what you've done, jackass!" Jeff hissed as he lent down and grasped Bofur's shirt collar, glaring darkly at the fallen man.

"Now, lad, I've done nothing to you except for not pay attention to where I was walking. Nothing more, nothing less. You were the one that sent your baby brother away by scaring him." Bofur pointed out with a calm smile and closed eyes, which managed to anger Jeff even more.

"I'll teach you a lesson, stupid bum!"

And Bofur closed his eyes and flinched away from the inevitable contact of the lad's fist, but found himself waiting too long for it. There was a second of silence in which nothing happened and Bofur kept his eyes closed, then he heard a yell and sounds of scuffling.

This interested him, but he didn't dare open his eyes. He knew that the city was rough and he knew there wasn't much love for 'freeloading vagabonds', so he wouldn't be surprised if more kids arrived to beat him up.

"Why don't you pick on someone your size, jerk!?" A new voice surprised Bofur enough that he finally opened his eyes, only to find a scene that shocked him.

* * *

"I really hate Christmas." Kili grouched as his brother laughed loudly at his brother's expense.

"You really shouldn't! It's not Christmas' fault that the nice cashier didn't give you her number! It's your fault because you were so creepy!" Fili laughed loudly, slapping his brother's back.

Both men were making their way down the snow-filled streets of New York after having gone on an ice cream run, which had ultimately ended with Kili making a complete fool of himself in front of a cashier he thought could be his 'soul-mate'.

"And she was so perfect too!" Kili groaned, slapping his face with both hands. "She had an Arrow button! It's like we were meant to be!"

Fili only shook his head at his brother's theatrics as he scooped up some of his chocolate ice cream, but his good mood slowly faded as he saw a dirty looking man being knocked down just a few feet away from them in the sidewalk.

"Fili? Aren't you going to chastise me about falling in love so quickly?" Kili asked as he looked up at the blonde, only to find him glaring at something before him.

That interested Kili and he forgot about his heartache as he saw a burly man scream at a small kid.

"What the hell?" Kili asked softly as his eyes narrowed, his right hand twitching around his ice cream cup.

And that's when the guy raised his fist. This of course did not sit well with either brother, but Kili being the more impulsive of the two, quickly gave his ice cream cup to his brother and bolted to the men in front, only to tackle the aggressive man.

Now that he had a better look at him, Kili could see he was just a muscular teenager with short blonde hair and dark brown eyes that burned with anger. This, of course, angered Kili and he pinned the younger to the ground.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, jerk!?" Kili yelled as he held the boy's arms down, all the while he struggled to be freed.

"Get off of me, you lunatic! I can file a report against you for assault!" The boy threatened, which got an eye roll from Kili.

"The only person getting charged with assault would be you, kid."

Kili looked up to find his brother standing before him, the homeless man he had just saved looking at them with wide eyes from his seat on the ground.

"And it would be attempted assault, by the way. Not such a strong crime, but still could get you jail time." Fili drawled in a disinterested voice, feeling kind of upset that he couldn't help the man on the floor because his hands were occupied with the ice cream.

The boy's eyes widened at Fili's words, but before he could try to make himself sound dumber, his mother and brother arrived.

"Jeff, what were you thinking?" The woman scolded as she and her son ran to help the homeless man up, "I am so sorry about him, sir. He's usually not like this, but he just had a fight with his father and his girlfriend broke up with him-"

"Mom!"

Bofur chuckled softly at the woman, patting her hand gently. "Don't worry, ma'am. He didn't hurt me. Not sure if he would have, but that young man over there stopped him."

The woman now turned to find Kili still pinning Jeff to the floor, and she blushed. "Would you mind getting off my son? I know he was attacking this man, but-"

Kili instantly jumped up and nodded at her, but Fili only handed the ice cream cups to his brother and crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, ma'am, but if this man wishes to press charges, he can. From what I saw, the only thing he did wrong was walk on the same sidewalk as your son." He spoke in a business tone, one that Kili only heard whenever he was being a bad kid.

"Oh, please don't!" The woman exclaimed, turning to Bofur with tear filled eyes. "He's going to graduate this year with a scholarship in football! If he gets convicted, he'll lose it!"

Bofur was taken aback by the woman's tone, having completely expected to be threatened into silence, but the kindness made him kind in return. "I won't file any charges, ma'am. Just, get him to control his anger some. He shouldn't be speaking so rudely to his brother."

The woman gasped at his words, and before Bofur could react, he was being hugged tightly by her. "Thank you so much! I'll get him to a therapist! Football season ended so he has nothing to take his anger out on!"

Bofur mechanically hugged her back, unsure if this was what she did before she attacked, but was surprised when she turned to Jeff.

"You and I are going to have a long talk, mister!"

And with those words, she grabbed the teen's ear and walked off with him, little Sam chasing after his family with all of the bags in his hands. Bofur smiled at the child's back, finding it heartwarming how caring the small being could be, but frowned when one of the young men that had helped him cleared his throat.

He turned around, only to find the one with the black hair grinning wickedly while the one with the blonde hair shook his head softly.

"Uh… Thank you, lads, for your help. I think I really would've been hurt if you hadn't stopped the boy." Bofur said lamely, but that just made the brunette's smile widen.

"Come on, Fili! He's funny! Hey, Funny Guy, you hungry?" Kili asked suddenly, which made Bofur stare at him in a stupefied manner.

Fili rolled his eyes at his brother's antics, but looked at the man, wanting to know the answer for the question. The man was just a few inches shorter than himself, and seemed to have a wider body build, but the clothing he wore hung on him, making him seem thinner than what should've been healthy.

Bofur looked from one man to the other, then blinked and scratched at his neck. "Well, I'm a might bit hungry, but I don't see how that's any of your concern…"

"Let me buy you some dinner!" Kili immediately jumped beside him, grabbing him by the left elbow.

"Kili! Don't assault the poor man!" Fili chastised. "One time was enough!"

Kili pouted at his brother now, "But Fili! Because of him I completely forgot about the evil cashier! Come on, let's repay him!"

Fili sighed at his brother's words, all the while Bofur blinked in shock and confusion. Evil cashier? Dinner? Just what was this boy going on about?

"Follow me, Funny Guy! I know this awesome little burger place that will give me one burger for free if I buy two more!" Kili started off in the direction of the small place, dragging Bofur with him.

This, naturally, immediately confused and worried Bofur, but he didn't have it in his heart to stop the taller man as he continued talking so animatedly. So, he just looked back and fond the blonde shaking his head with a soft smile… Bofur didn't know if this was a good thing, or an extremely dangerous bad thing…

**Hope you liked it. Please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **Bofur is a homeless man, struggling to find any place that would hire him. He went from city to city, hoping that someone would show him kindness. And he finds that kindness with the Durin brothers, whom offer him a place to stay as long as he becomes their 'maid'. Now, this usually would be humiliating for Bofur, but having lived on only scraps and rags for the past five years, he doesn't find himself so embarrassed whenever the brothers try their best to humiliate him. Well, that is until he finds out their uncle is one of the most breathtaking men he has ever met…

"So that's how I came to know the evil cashier!" Kili finished in a heroic voice while he slammed his fist onto the table before him after he finished retelling the story of how his heart was broken by the perfect girl.

Bofur blinked at him, hands on his burger while Fili slurped at his drink, face showing how unimpressed he was with his brother.

After he had finally dragged Bofur into his favorite burger shop, Kili had ordered one hamburger for each of them and proceeded to explain to Bofur just why he had taken a liking to him so quickly. Fili had arrived a few minutes after his brother and Bofur and had sat down without a word, grey eyes drifting to look at Bofur every once in a while.

"Good for you… I guess?" Bofur mumbled softly, but took a quick bite of his burger before Kili could question his answer.

"Kili, let the poor man eat in peace. You haven't allowed him a second to think since you started dragging him here." Fili finally spoke up, making Kili pout at him.

"Why do you hate me, big brother?" Kili asked in a tearful voice. "How did I wrong you?" He grasped Fili's jacket, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"By being born." Fili answered in a mock serious tone, but still pushed Kili off him.

Both brothers had already finished eating, but Kili didn't want to leave Bofur alone, and Fili couldn't leave Kili alone. So they were all just sitting around the booth, Bofur feeling extremely uncomfortable as their gazes turned to him once more.

"So, what's your name?" Kili asked in a sing-song and Bofur found himself surprised that Fili didn't mock him or anything.

From what he had seen, Kili was the younger and more hyperactive brother while Fili was the more conservative and introverted one. But they still had the bond of brothers, which meant they annoyed each other whenever they could.

And while Fili did love to bother Kili and annoy him, he couldn't help but be interested in the newest question. He was somewhat intrigued by the older man sitting before them. What with his floppy eared hat and gravity defying mustache and braids, he seemed like an interesting enough character.

Once he noticed there was no way he could get out of the question, Bofur leaned back and cleaned his hands. "My name's Bofur BroadBeam lad."

Kili nodded enthusiastically at the answer, and opened his mouth to ask something else, but Fili beat him to it. "Are you homeless, Bofur?"

Bofur frowned at this, but still nodded. "Can't say I have steady job or a roof over my head at all times, but I'm not too bothered by it."

Fili nodded as Bofur answered his unasked question, but this made Kili jump ecstatically. "I like you, Mr. BroadBeam! Why was that mean Jeff attacking you?"

Bofur finished his burger and took a sip from his soda before he answered. "I just happened to walk on the wrong side of the street, kid. Nothing too special."

Kili pursed his lips as he looked at Bofur, then shook his head softly and poked at Bofur's arm. "Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?"

The older man's eyes narrowed slightly, but he still answered, "Can't say I have anywhere safe, but I do not see what that has to do with you, lad."

This made Kili smile broadly. "It has everything to do with me, Funny Guy! You're going to stay with Fili and me tonight!"

* * *

"Wow! This place is huge! Who did you kids rob?!" Bofur gasped as soon as he looked inside the large apartment, eyes wide as he stood there.

His words made Kili giggle while Fili just smiled at him. "We didn't have to rob anyone, Bofur. We just happen to have a steady income." Fili answered, shrugging his shoulders softly.

"Yeah. A snazzy income from our mom and uncle. Besides, with our jobs, we barely have to worry about money!" Kili added as he threw himself on the black couch that was located in the living room, which was just a few feet away from the main door, to the right.

Bofur felt a bit insulted by their words, unsure if they were trying to mock him for his current monetary status, but Fili smacking him on the back quickly halted his doubts.

"You're staying, right? What size pants and shirt are you? I'm pretty sure something of mine could fit you." Fili observed, eyeing Bofur up and down.

The older man looked at him with wide eyes and started to shake his head. "You don't need to do that, lad! I can just leave right now, I'm pretty sure I can-"

"Not going to happen, Mr. Funny Guy." Kili interrupted.

He got up from the comfortable couch to place both hands on the shorter man's shoulders, looking down at him in an almost patronizing manner. "You are our invited guest, Mr. Funny Guy. We will not let you go back to those mean streets without a proper night's rest."

Bofur wasn't an ill-tempered kind of man most of the times. He had lived on the streets for enough time to know that if you acted like a savage, you'd be treated like one. But if you acted like a decent human, other treated you like a caged animal instead of a wild one. To most people living luxurious lives, this would seem rather cruel and inhumane. But to Bofur it was just ways to survive.

And it was because of these years of learning patience and to resist wishes of storming away and slamming doors that Bofur was able to not try to get away from the lad in front of him as fast possible.

"I am mighty glad of this offer, lads, I really am." Bofur started to say, uncomfortable smile on his lips. "But I cannot accept this… It really is-"

"Too much?" Fili asked now walking up to both men.

It really was something amazing to think that these two were brothers. Not only did they share barely any physical resemblance, but their personalities were completely different. Anyone could notice this just by their facial expressions at the moment. While Kili smiled a toothy grin at the shortest of the men, Fili just eyed him with a calm expression.

"Uh, well…" Bofur stuttered slightly, unsure how to answer.

Kili's hands were still on his shoulders, stopping him from moving away from the brothers. Not like he thought he could. Fili's set gaze made him feel as if he wouldn't be able to move even if he tried.

"Would you really feel right about rejecting our hospitality, Mr. Bofur?" Fili asked, blue eyes so filled with curiosity and determination that Bofur really felt like shrinking away from him.

Here he was, a grown man nearing his thirties, and backing down to two lads! Why, if Bombur ever heard of this, the large man would never let him live it down!

"Are you trying to insult us, Mr. Broadbeam? Hurt two men who went out of their way to help you in your time of need?" Kili continued, his own eyes wide as if to replicate what Bombur had once told Bofur was the 'puppy-dog eyed' look.

Bofur shook his head wildly, holding his hands up in an almost defensive way. "I don't mean to insult you, lads, but-"

"Then it's settled! Mr. Funny Guy will be rooming with me!"

Before he could even try to make sense of things, Bofur found himself being hauled away to what he could only assume was Kili's bedroom, the taller man's hands tightly holding on to Bofur's wrists. As he looked behind him, Bofur found Fili shaking his head after them both. This did not bode too well for the older man.

**Hope you liked it. Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

When Kili managed to drag Bofur into his room, the older man was undoubtedly amazed. Even though it was pretty small for the size of the apartment they were in, it was still big- in Bofur's eyes- just for one person to live in.

It seemed barely lived in, for the walls didn't have anything on them and the only real furniture inside was a bed, a desk, a window frame, a nightstand, and a wardrobe. The walls were a light green color and the furniture was all brown.

"And this is my room!" Kili announced with a sweeping gesture, most probably imagining Bofur fawning over the grandeur he saw.

Bofur really was amazed by it, but he wasn't about to start fawning over the lad's room. That wasn't too respectable in his eyes.

"Swell room, lad." Bofur remarked, trying to loosen his hand from the iron grip Kili had it in. "But I don't really think I-"

"Will really fit in here?" Kili finished for him, even though Bofur was pretty sure he knew that wasn't where he was going. "Nonsense, Mr. Funny Guy!"

With that Kili led Bofur towards his bed and threw him on it, making the older man grunt in slight shock at the force he was thrown with, then look on in slight confusion as Kili bent to the bottom of the bed and started pulling out a bed from there.

"Tada!" Kili sang as he sprang up, pointing at the roll-out bed he had just produced.

Bofur looked at him with slightly disinterested eyes, but that disinterest left when a knock was heard on the door.

"Kili, I brought Bofur some clothing."

Kili pursed his lips at this, walking over to the door. "But he could have just borrowed some of mine."

"Yeah, but you're too tall. I'm pretty sure my size is closer to his than to yours."

Bofur nodded at the logic, completely agreeing with it, then he pursed his own lips.

Was he really going to let these kids have their way with him? Why wouldn't he just stand up and tell them he really was going to leave?

"You're a mean older brother, Fili!" Kili groaned while crossing his arms, slouching as he knew that he had lost this small argument.

Fili smirked at his younger sibling but instead of boasting at the victory the blonde turned towards Bofur with a kind smile.

"They're just some pajama pants Kili bought for me a year or two ago that I never wear and a worn shirt." He explained as he handed them over to the older man who eyed the black garments slightly warily.

Once he had both things in his hands Bofur unfolded them only to be surprised with what he found. The pajama pants were all black, extremely soft, with two pockets and even had a small design of a star in a circle at the right hip. Underneath of the circle were the words '_Supernatural Join the hunt'_ which Bofur, of course, had no idea as to what it meant.

The shirt, on the other hand, was also extremely soft and pure black, but Bofur actually knew where this reference came from. It was a Joker shirt, the psychopath posing proudly at the front with a broad smile while Harley hugged him from behind..

Bofur quirked an eyebrow at both items, and Kili smiled brightly at him.

"It was from a friend of ours! He said Fili and I have a Harley-Joker relationship where I'm Harley!" With this the young man wrapped an arm around his shorter brother as if trying to further explain without using any more words.

Bofur was thoroughly confused by this.

Fili shrugged him off- albeit with a smile- and opened the door to Kili's room. "The bathroom's right in front of you. It's kind of hard to miss, too. Has a large sign that reads 'bathroom'." Fili told him.

"And why would you make it so conspicuous?" Bofur asked as he folded up the clothing and draped it over his left forearm.

"Because our friends kept getting lost in the apartment." Kili answered then shrugged. "It was actually our uncle's idea. If it were up to Fili and I there wouldn't be a sign there."

Fili nodded, "That's true. If they can't find the bathroom themselves they shouldn't be allowed to use it."

"That is... Kind of harsh of you two..." Bofur breathed, unsure of what else to say.

Both brothers looked at one another, shrugged, and smiled at Bofur. "Oh well. What can you do, Mr. Funny Guy?" Kili asked, only to push him softly towards the doorway. "Now go change and come back as soon as possible! I want to play truth or dare with you and Fili!"

Fili quirked an eyebrow at his brother, just as surprised to hear this as Bofur apparently.

"Just... _Why_ would you think we'd play that childish game, Kili?"

The younger shrugged, "Just thought it might have been fun, bro."

Fili rolled his eyes at his brother's words and turned to Bofur. "Good night, Bofur."

With that the eldest brother left Bofur alone with Kili. And, for some odd reason, Bofur did not like that at all. He actually felt deep inside himself that if he allowed Kili, the younger would make do many things Bofur would normally not consent to. He just seemed to have that gift of gab that made anyone agree with him.

As if sensing the elder's trepidation Kili turned to him, broad smirk in place. Fortunately, though, before he could do anything, Bofur neared the door and ran to the bathroom. "Going to change!" He gave as an excuse before he slammed the bathroom's door, huffing loudly.

Just what what was it about these kids that he still couldn't say no to them?

* * *

Luckily enough for Bofur, the night wasn't as eventful as he would have expected. Apparently Kili really had tired himself out during the day, so when Bofur had come back to the room dressed in Fili's pajamas the younger was already in bed, hugging a stuffed bear tightly to his chest.

He yawned loudly as he saw Bofur enter the room, and with a complacent smile on his face told him, "Goodnight Mr. Funny Guy. Please don't run away while we sleep."

Bofur quirked an eyebrow at the request but shook his head and allowed a small smile to graze his lips. It may have been a forced outing, but in retrospect, having met these brothers was certainly one of the best things to have happened to him in a long time.

So without even thinking of leaving Bofur got comfortable in the roll out bed Kili had prepared for him, placed his hat down on the nightstand beside him, and closed his eyes. This also proved to be the first time in a long time that he actually slept in a comfortable bed without having to worry about anything of his getting stolen by another bum.

In the morning he was awoken by poke on his cheek while someone- undoubtedly Kili- whispered for him to get up.

"Come on... Fili's making some of his famous pancakes with bacon... It's bacon, dude..."

Bofur allowed one eye to open so he could softly glare at the young man poking him, but only found him smiling brightly.

It was actually kind of cute. Kili reminded Bofur of himself back when he was that age. Of course, he had been less rich at that time and living in his cousin's home with his younger brother, but that was beside the point. It seemed as if Kili just couldn't keep the smile off his face. That was actually pretty refreshing for Bofur.

"Can I not sleep for a few more minutes, lad?"

"You know, I really like that. You calling me lad." Bofur sighed as Kili continued poking him, letting him know that he had to wake up right now. "Starting from today on you can't call anyone but me lad. It's your nickname for me now and can't nobody else have it."

"That's a double negative brother, it means he _can_ call someone else lad."_  
_

"Fili! I thought you were making breakfast!"

Bofur silently thanked Fili as Kili's constant poking left him, giving him at least a few more seconds to keep his eyes closed.

"I was." Fili sighed as Kili's arms wrapped around his shoulders, huggin him tightly. "But I came up here while the pancakes cooked because I was worried you would be bothering our guest."

Kili smiled broadly at his brother and motioned to brother. "Well, as you can see, I was _not_ bothering but instead waking him up."

Fili looked at him with an unimpressed gaze then turned to Bofur with a soft smile. "You will be joining us for breakfast, right? I'd be upset because I already made yours."

Bofur looked up at both brothers and much to his disappointment both were giving him pleading looks, especially Fili. The older man groaned softly as he threw one arm over his face but used the other to wave at them.

"Sure. I'll stay."

**Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

Breakfast wasn't as hectic as Bofur had been expecting it to be. Both boys ate in a calm manner and didn't really bother Bofur much if he didn't count the small questions they made here and there.

"And where are you from?"

"Dublin, Ireland."

Kili gasped at the answer, eyes wide suddenly, "You mean you're really Irish? Do they drink as much as the people here say they do?"

Bofur gave him an unimpressed stare while Fili rolled his eyes, "I must apologize for my brother's stupidity. He is somewhat close minded and has only had the internet to quench his curiosity. Most of what he knows of other cultures is correct when applied to small numbers but he completely misses when it comes to assuming things out of the whole population."

Fili, Bofur decided, was too eloquent to be real. The younger male always spoke with much respect- even when insulting his brother- and seemed to always use the biggest yet most easily understood words he could try.

All in all Bofur didn't really mind the brothers presence. He just didn't like the idea of getting close to them now because he knew he was going to be back on the streets in less than a day.

This thought made the hatted man frown and this caught both brothers attention.

"Did I say something wrong, Bofur?" Kili asked, really worried it was his fault. "If I did, I'm sorry. You heard Fili, I'm a simpleton."

Fili rolled his eyes at the younger's words but still turned to Bofur. "What has you troubled?"

The man sighed and scratched at his neck, "Oh, it's nothing lads. Just me an' me thoughts."

Both brothers shared a look at his answer, then Fili sighed and stood up. "Bofur, are you good with cleaning?"

The man was caught off by the question- he really would have expected something like that coming from Kili but certainly not Fili- but still nodded. "Can't say I'm bad, lad."

Kili seemed to growl at the nickname and Bofur quickly turned to apologize while Fili spoke up. "Well, you see Bofur, Kili and I are not the cleanest of men out there. You may not see it because we just recently got this apartment, but this will turn into a pigsty in less than a month."

Bofur quirked an eyebrow in confusion, not sure where Fili was going by telling him all this while Kili only smiled broadly at him suddenly. "And, you see, we seem to already find you a close friend." Kili continued. "And we don't like thinking of our friends suffering."

"So we were wondering if you would mind becoming our housekeeper- basically- for pay?" Fili was now beside his brother and all Bofur could do was blink at both brothers.

Just... What was this?

Bofur blinked at them in shock for a few more seconds then shook his head and stood up, angry. "Now that's just swell, lads. Sure, make fun of the homeless man. He's got nothing left to lose so you can prank him like this!"

He was so angered that he didn't see the brothers own surprised faces as he turned around and stormed to the door. "And I really thought you lads wanted to help!"

With that Bofur slammed the door behind him and headed out of the apartment building, face burning in anger at what those kids had done. To think he had actually considered them friends for a second! He should have known better! Nobody in this world would stick their necks out for strangers. No one!

* * *

"Blast it all... I left most of my stuff back in those kids apartment." Bofur muttered angrily, rubbing his hands rapidly.

The snow had not let up since the night before and now he was missing most of his warm clothing. His gloves, scarf, and overcoat were all still in the boys' apartment and he really didn't feel like going back. It would make him look weak and pitiful. He would just have to stay cold until he was able to find replacements.

"And those were made by Bombur's wife..." He breathed, shaking his head softly.

He really regretted having left in such a rage- maybe the kids really weren't trying to prank him- but after those years of living on the streets and getting by on scraps he didn't want to be yanked around like they would most probably do.

Bofur didn't really know where he was going. He didn't even know if he was going to stay in the city or leave it. But he did know that his indecision was not new. These were just the perks of being homeless in such a cold city.

Walking down yet another sidewalk filled with people finishing up their Christmas shopping the hatted man frowned softly.

Maybe he _had_ been too harsh with the lads. Maybe they _really_ wanted to help him.

But nothing ever went well for him, he thought with chagrin. Ever since he had left Ireland to find fortune in America nothing had gone well for him. His toys sold, sure, but they weren't sought after. Once he had met a kind stranger that had told him while they were whimsical and beautiful, the toys just didn't seem to be made for playing.

Then Bifur's injuries came into the picture and Bofur felt like Lady Luck had completely abandoned him.

As he walked down the street he failed to see a young lad running straight towards him and before Bofur could see him, both were sent tumbling backwards and onto the pavement.

"Oh..." Bofur groaned, grabbing at the sidewalk to find the hat that had flown from his head, "I've _got_ to start looking where I'm walking."

"I am so sorry!"

Bofur gasped as hands were suddenly patting at his coat, as if trying to brush the dust off of it.

"I was in a hurry and _I _wasn't looking where I was heading and I was running too, as if the ignorance wasn't bad enough!"

Whomever Bofur had run into seemed to be rather kind- at least kind when compared to the teen that had tried to assault him because of a situation much like this one- and jumpy if his pattern of speech was anything to go by.

"Oh, don't worry about it lad." Bofur muttered, eyes softening as he found a young man already up and grasping for Bofur's hat.

"I really am sorry. My brothers are always telling me I have my head up in the clouds but..." The younger drifted off as Bofur stood up, then offered the hat with a nervous smile.

Bofur smiled as broadly as he could as he took his hat. "I know a thing or two of daydreaming, don't you worry! I guess it's both our faults, really. If I had been paying attention I might have gotten out of the way before we slammed into one another."

Both were quiet as they looked down at the floor, then the young man stuck his hand out, "My name's Ori."

Bofur shook his hand with a warm smile, but Ori's eyes widened and a sharp gasp left him, promptly cutting off Bofur's own introduction. "I have to go!"

With that he sidestepped Bofur and took off running, but not before waving and apologizing once more. "I truly am sorry, Mister! If we meet again I will apologize properly!"

Bofur waved back as the man ran away, then shook his head softly, beginning to walk once more. "I have had to oddest luck these days." He muttered to himself.

But as he walked he couldn't seem to wipe the smile from his face. It seems that the meeting with Ori was enough to lighten his mood and make him happy once more.

And he thought that meeting Ori would be the last interesting thing of his day. But once lunchtime rolled around and Bofur sat down in a bench in a park he couldn't have been more surprised.

Fili and Kili were both there, and from the binoculars and walkie-talkies in their hands, Bofur could only assume they were looking for something. He didn't know what, but he didn't want to find out. He stood up to leave the park, but that seemed to have been the wrong move.

"I found him brother!"

Bofur grunted in surprise as strong arms suddenly wrapped around his chest, hoisting him up and twirling him so he was face to face with a worried Fili.

"Oh, thank God we found you, Mr. Bofur! We were so worried!" Fili gasped and Bofur couldn't help but gape at him in shock.

If the boys really were this worried about him, then that meant their job offer wasn't a hoax. And he had just caused them distress without any real explanation.

"Don't you ever dare leave us like that, Mr. Bofur!" Kili scolded from behind him, hugging him tightly. "Why, we were about to call the police!"

Fili scoffed softly at his brothers words as he shook his head. "We weren't going to call them, you idiot. They would have laughed in our faces for losing a grown man." Then his eyes softened as he looked at Bofur. "But we _did_ call in a friend of ours to help us in our search."

Bofur felt Kili nod behind him but instead of letting the boys continue talking, he cleared his throat. "I am not sure what you lads like about me, but I admit you are rather nice kids. And while I am sure Kili is a touchy kind of person, this hug is becoming too long for my liking."

"Good." Kili muttered darkly. "You had us worried, Bofur. We offer you work, hoping not only for you to become a friend of ours but also to help you get back on your feet, yet you storm away from us!"

"We understand why you understood insult, Bofur." Fili told him, grabbing Bofur's attention once more. "But we really just wanted to help."

"Besides, mother says Fili and I have a very bad habit."

The brothers stayed quiet after this and Bofur was heavily inclined to ask what their habit was, but a new voice answered the unasked question.

"Well, you two do seem to keep proving her right every single time you pick up a stray."

Fili smiled as the newcomer stepped up behind Kili bot Bofur still wasn't able to see who it was.

"We have big hearts." Fili shrugged and Kili nodded rapidly.

"And Bofur has a big heart too! I assure you, we are _not_ being stupid by helping this man in his time of need!"

With these strong words Kili lifted Bofur back up and twirled him back around to face the friend. And whom he saw made both Bofur's and the friend's eyes widen.

"You?"

**Please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

It was none other than Ori, the young man that had run into him on the street earlier that day. His eyes were wide as he saw the man Kili was hugging tightly while Fili and Kili looked at both in confusion.

"Do you know each other?" Kili asked, glancing from the man in his arms to his friend.

"I... Uh... Well, we kind of ran into each other a few hours ago..." Ori mumbled, scratching at the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle.

Bofur smiled reassuringly at the youth then headbutted Kili softly. "Could I please get down now?"

Kili rubbed at his chin with his left arm, allowing Bofur to finally step away from his embrace. He glanced down at the taller male, who was pouting heavily, and shook his head in a disapproving manner.

"Not only do you try to hold me hostage, but you also try to make me feel guilty about getting free after?" Bofur asked him while Fili chuckled at his younger brother.

He couldn't see behind him, but Bofur was pretty sure that Ori too was chuckling because Kili's reaction was really rather amusing.

"There is no more love in this world!" Kili grouched, crossing his arms while still pouting.

Fili rolled his eyes at his brother's antics then turned to Bofur and Ori. "Just how did you two meet?"

Ori smiled nervously as a blush crept upon his face, feeling bashful about having run into the very man he was supposed to be looking for.

Bofur looked back at the younger man, and noting just how bashful he was about it, smiled broadly at Fili. "He offered me a cup of coffee early in the morning. I had to turn it down, though, for I had nothing to pay him back with."

Ori smiled gratefully at the Irishman while Fili smiled warmly at both of them. "This is actually very good. If Ori approves of you, Bofur, it means our Uncle and Mom won't completely hate you."

Bofur blinked at his words, running them over to make sure he had heard correctly, but Kili speaking was all he needed to make sure.

"Please, Fili. We'll make sure they never meet Bofur." Then Kili wrapped his arms around Bofur and Ori.

The younger of the four blushed at the contact while Bofur only rolled his eyes. Apparently he had already become accustomed to Kili's love of physical contact.

"But, please, we shouldn't think of that now!" Kili smiled broadly. "I say we treat these two to some nice burgers!"

And once more Bofur was dragged to Kili's favorite hamburger place.

* * *

"So, before we allow you to start working, Bofur, we should get you some new clothes." Fili acknowledged as they walked out of the small shop, Kili and Bofur walking behind him.

Ori had to leave earlier because of some emergency with his brother, Nori- and Bofur was surprised to find Fili and Kili betting about what the problem could have been- so now the original three were together.

After having explained their situations a bit more, the brothers and Bofur were able to come to an understanding. Now Bofur was going to be working for the lads every day of the week for the following months and staying with them until he was able to find himself a permanent home along with other employment.

Kili had joked about not letting him even after he was able to sell his toys to the biggest companies. Bofur had found this endearing while Fili only shook his head at his brothers comment, though.

Bofur looked at Fili in slight shock. "But I cannot be taking any more of your money, lad."

Kili frowned at the use of the nickname and Bofur sighed, "Sorry, lad. I meant Fili."

The younger smiled at this and nodded, allowing them to continue their conversation.

"Nonsense, Bofur! Look, if you really feel that strongly about us buying you clothing, we could say this is an advance pay. Month's worth, even."

Bofur couldn't believe the words he was hearing. Was Fili really saying all this?

"But wouldn't that be-"

Fili raised his hand, stopping Bofur. "It would not be a bother. You would be working to pay us back the first month, then you'd be working for pay. It's not a bother at all, Bofur."

The hatted man still frowned at the idea, not liking being in debt to the youngsters, but nodded. He had already agreed to work with them so, technically, they were now his bosses. And if he had learned anything in his life it was to always to do as your bosses told you to do.

"Well... If you're alright with it, la- I mean, Fili."

* * *

Bofur didn't mind working for the brothers. They proved to be respectful, generous, patient, and not as messy as they had initially made him think.

The days went by with Bofur cleaning first the brothers rooms, then the bathroom, then the kitchen, and lastly the common rooms. The boys were usually there with him because of winter break but sometimes they had to leave to make sure their mother and uncle didn't become too suspicious.

He didn't agree with the trickery. Bofur knew family was one of the most important things in life but he wasn't in any place to tell the brothers they were wrong by lying to their mother and uncle. From what they had told him, both adults would kick Bofur out without any kind of remorse, leaving him alone in the streets once more.

And, maybe he was being a bit selfish for this, Bofur wanted to keep doing what he was doing. He didn't mind cleaning up after the boys because he finally felt as if he belonged somewhere. After five whole years of walking with no clear destination he felt as if he had found it.

Now a month had passed and the brothers were whining about having to go back to school in January.

"I don't want to go back, Bofur!" Kili moaned during breakfast, playing softly with the eggs and bacon Bofur had made for them all.

Fili munched grumpily at his own food, not feeling like his brothers whines warranted a response. Bofur sighed from his place in the island- which was in between both brothers- and patted Kili on the shoulder.

"You'll survive lad."

Kili looked at him with a pout, "How about we run away to Ireland?"

Bofur chuckled and shook his head, "Fili here would miss you."

"No I wouldn't."

Both men looked at the blonde and he frowned at both of them. "It is way too early for you two to be so happy."

"What is wrong, big brother?" Kili asked, blinking at the older.

"You two talk too-"

Before he could finish his sentence, though, a knock on the apartment door cut him off.


	6. Chapter 6

Fili and Kili's eyes were wide after the knock on the door, both reminding Bofur very much of a deer caught in headlights.

He didn't know what had happened but he wasn't too interested in it. He had grown accustomed to the boys' theatrics so instead of wondering why they reacted in such a manner he just continued eating his breakfast.

"Quick, brother, like we practiced!" Fili suddenly commanded, grabbing Bofur by the back of his jacket.

He now had a full wardrobe- complete with band shirts and other things that only the boys understood the references to- along with two new pairs of shoes apart from the boots he wore while on the street. Right now he wore a simple white shirt, blue jeans, and a denim jacket while the brothers were still clad in pajamas.

Bofur felt himself being pulled backwards by the the older of the brothers and suddenly he was being thrown into the closet where they kept all their cleaning supplies.

Fili pointed at him, face serious, "Do not utter a word. Do not move. We will come get you when it is safe."

"Hey, Fili-"

"Not a word!" Fili bit out, making Bofur clamp his mouth shut.

Over Fili's shoulder he could see Kili throwing clothes all over the living room and Bofur pursed his lips. "Just why is Kili-"

Fili slapped his hand over Bofur's mouth promptly shutting him up. "All will be explained once our... _Situation_ has been resolved, Bofur. Until then, you must stay quiet and not make a move."

With that the door to the closet was slammed and Bofur found himself immersed in darkness.

He sighed and crossed his arms, looking around himself to find a place to sit. "Guess I'll follow their rules then... Weird lads...

* * *

"Just a bit more wrappers, Ki!" Fili hissed as he returned from his room, throwing some of his dirty clothes in the hallway.

The brothers were running to and from the living room, trying to get it as messy yet clean as possible. And there was a very simple reason to be undoing all of Bofur's hard work. The only people that would knock so solidly on their apartment's door were two. And these two were their mother and their uncle. People they didn't want to find out about their new housekeeper.

Kili threw some more candy wrappers onto the floor of the living room, then pulled out the controllers for the PS3 they had mounted in front of the television.

"It's perfect!" Kili whispered, eyes wide as he looked over the organized chaos they had just made in the room.

But his moment of amazement was cut off by another hurried knock at the door.

"Get the door, you twat!" Fili demanded as he appeared from the hallway, jumping over the couch to turn on the television and gaming station.

Kili ran around in a few circles before finally running to the door and swinging it open. Before him, frowning down at him with clear annoyance, stood his majestic uncle, Thorin Durinson.

"Fili and Kili Durinson, just what the hell were you two making me wait for?" He growled as he stepped into the apartment, frown increasing once he saw the mess his nephews had created in the small amount of time they had lived here.

Fili glanced over from his game, smiling softly at his uncle. "Oh, you know the problem with these kinds of games, uncle. We have to follow it through to the end."

Kili nodded with a wide smile as he sat down beside his brother, grabbing his own controller to begin another round of Black Ops.

Thorin grimaced at how laid back his nephews were, glancing around at how messy the place really was.

"No wonder your mother told me to pass by. You kids have no idea what cleanliness even is." Thorin muttered, now looking at the game the boys were playing.

He didn't understand much of what was going on. He wasn't too big on many of the boys' games and he really didn't care to be. All he wanted right now was to make sure the boys had enough food in their fridge so he could finally eat some lunch.

So Thorin walked himself over to the kitchen and found three plates still full of food, as if the boys had just started playing the game to be able to ignore him more easily. This he was used to, what was new was the fact that the food was cooked and not some kind of cereal, and there were _three_ plates.

"Boys?" He called, leaning slightly to look through the doorway to the kitchen.

Fili and Kili shared worried looks before looking back at their uncle, game raging before them. "Yeah, Thorin?"

"Why do you have three plates of food out here? Did you have a visitor?"

Kili glared darkly at Fili- whose job it had been to clean up any evidence in the kitchen- all the while the elder smiled nervously. He hadn't meant to forget getting that done it was just that the rush of grabbing and throwing things to make their apartment dirtier had distracted him from his initial job.

"You had _one_ job, Fili." Kili hissed, but both brothers quickly looked back towards the kitchen to not make their uncle any more confused.

* * *

Bofur was beginning to seriously regret having allowed the boys to throw him into the supply closet. It felt as if he had been stuck in there for ages and his lack of being able to listen to what was happening outside really wasn't helping him. He was pretty sure that something bad was going on, though, but he just didn't know what.

The room he was in was small and filled with cleaning supplies and really only had one place for him to sit, which was on top of a container of some kind, and he really was starting to be annoyed with the boys.

He did not deserve to be shoved into some kind of closet just because their friends were over. Besides, weren't they proud of having taken him in? Kids nowadays were too confusing for his liking.

So, with a huff, Bofur crossed his arms and leaned against the wall behind him, glaring at the broom beside him.

"What are you looking at?"

* * *

"There are three plates here, Uncle, because…" Kili began, trying to come up with a convincing lie while jumping over the back of the couch to walk towards the kitchen.

Fili followed his brother with a small frown on his face, unsure as to what he was planning. But, really, whatever his brother could come up with would be way better than anything he was thinking of. Which was nothing.

"We were extremely hungry."

He mumbled lamely and Thorin pursed his lips at his nephews. That's when they heard an odd kind of noise coming from the supply closet, prompting the three men to turned to it.

"Did do you hear that?" Thorin asked, looking at the boys with worry.

"Hear what? Oh, I heard nothing!" Kili announced, smacking his uncle over the shoulder. "You'll be needing a hearing aid soon enough, uncle!"

Kili was beginning to freak out. Their carefully laid out plans would be ruined because Fili was an idiot and Bofur was not helping at all! If this failed at least he would be able to say he did his job, though.

Thorin glared down at the younger of the boys, feeling insulted at his words, and shook his head. "I am sure I heard something."

"Uncle, just why are you here?" Fili asked, stopping Thorin from walking towards the closet.

Thorin's eyes were narrowed, starting to become suspicious. Just why were his nephews reacting in such a manner? Now he thought to back when they were kids and were acting in a similar manner.

"Fili, you only act like this when you know you're going to get into trouble for something you have done." Thorin deadpanned while Kili squeaked.

Fili chuckled nervously and Thorin was now completely sure the brothers were trying to hide something from him.

"If you must know, uncle, we have not washed any dishes in days! We know you and mom want us to be on our best behavior while we're here and finally away from you guys, but we're young!" Fili gasped hurriedly, scratching at the back of his neck while finishing with a lame smile.

Thorin turned around to glance at the sink, only to find that was devoid of any dirty plates. "If that's so, Fili, how come your sink is empty?"

Now Kili jumped forward and Thorin was now surrounded by his nephews. "That's because... We, uh... We threw them all away!" Kili said but his voice sounded more like he had just come up with a great idea rather than told a truth. "Yep, we've decided to start buying take out only?"

Now Thorin pointed at the three breakfast plates still on the island. "How come you have homemade breakfast right there?"

Kili groaned in annoyance, "Fili, you really ought to start helping me!"

Fili glared at his brother but smiled when Thorin turned to him with a glare. Clearly their uncle was starting to become extremely annoyed with their antics. It was a matter of time before he exploded at them.

Thorin crossed his arms and Fili was about ready to call it quits and just tell their uncle the truth. But he didn't because he liked Bofur and didn't like the idea of his uncle kicking him out just because he was an older man.

"If you must know, uncle..." Fili sighed, wiping at his face with his hand. "We haven't been completely honest with you."

Fili could see Kili shaking his head and silently telling him to stop but Fili continued speaking. "The reason our plates are clean and we have real food here is... because..."

"My girlfriend was nice enough to clean before we ate breakfast!" Kili blurted out and Fili smiled widely and began to nod, agreeing with the idea.

It wasn't the truth and their uncle would start bothering them to know more about the girl but it was both plausible and a good lie.

Thorin blinked at Fili then turned to Kili with a questioning gaze. "Girlfriend?"

Kili nodded rapidly. "That's right, uncle. And she made us breakfast even, and we were having a nice conversation when you showed up. She took off through the fire escape."

The look Thorin gave him was enough to let the boys know that he didn't believe them.

"You allowed her to go through the fire escape?"

"Yes, that's right! We were busy throwing trash onto the floor to make it seem like it was just Kili and I here while she fled!" Fili spoke up. "Her family doesn't like Kili or I."

Thorin seemed like he wanted them to explain more but his phone rang. And from the soft curse he uttered the boys knew they were safe for now.

"I'll be back." Thorin told them with his most serious and threatening tone then he left the apartment.

Fili and Kili both let out a breath of relief then looked at each other with broad smiles.

"We've done it, Kili!" Fili laughed, running to his brother and embracing him tightly. "Nice thinking with the girlfriend lie!"

Then they heard a knock on the closet's door. "Lads, can I come out now?"

**Please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

Bofur was really starting to worry about the boys. Not only had they locked him inside a closet for solid thirty minutes to lie to their uncle, but they were also lying wholeheartedly to their uncle and mother.

The boys had begun going back to school as soon as Monday hit and Bofur found himself with a new challenge that very week. Their friends.

Ori he had been acquainted with before and so wasn't too concerned when he entered the apartment Tuesday afternoon followed by Fili and Kili. But he was surprised when he found a much taller and lankier young lad entering behind the siblings, who was then followed by a woman about as tall as him.

"Bofur!" Kili exclaimed, throwing his arms up to bring the elder man into a tight hug. "Oh, you're wearing the maid outfit we bought you!"

Bofur's cheeks flared up in embarrassment when he saw all eyes turn to him, clearly Kili's words having caught their attention. He wasn't wearing anything kinky in any way, it was just a 'butler' suit Fili had bought for him a few days ago to wear as a uniform whenever he was working. But Kili's words weren't exactly helping him all that much.

"We brought friends!" Kili announced, making a grand flair while motioning to the newcomers.

Fili pointed at Ori, "You know Ori. But these two," He motioned to the two Bofur didn't know. "Are Legolas and Tauriel."

The blonde man nodded at Bofur while the woman waved at him in a slightly nervous manner.

"We told them how good your food was and invited them over to taste some of it." Kili explained the question Bofur had not asked yet.

"If you need any help, I would be more than glad to. I know this most probably is catching you by surprise." Tauriel stepped forward, raising her hand to motion towards herself.

Bofur blinked at her, wondering why the woman felt the need to be so nice, all the while Kili continued holding him. He really had grown accustomed to the boys extremely personal ways so he wasn't too bothered by the long touches anymore. As long as the boys kept their hands to themselves when they needed to, Bofur was okay.

But right now was one of those times when Bofur wished Kili wasn't so comfortable with hugging him.

"Lad, could you please let go of me?" Bofur asked Kili who only shook his head.

"I'm comfortable here, Mr. Funny Guy." Kili told him.

Fili rolled his eyes at his brothers antics and walked towards them, grabbing at the back of the younger's neck. Kili hissed and immediately reacted, letting go of Bofur and bringing his shoulders up to try to avoid Fili's hand on his neck.

"You should know better than to bother the man that's going to make our food, brother." Fili told Kili, who was squeaking and looked rather funny all tensed up.

The brothers friends smiled at their antics, and Bofur did as well, then looked at the woman. "Well, if you want to help, I don't see anything too bad with that."

Tauriel smiled somewhat shyly at him while nodding. "Come on. You'll be on chopping duty." Bofur told her, leading her towards the kitchen in the apartment.

"Come on, Fili, let go of your brother." Ori told the older male, somewhat bothered by Kili's whines and squeaks.

The blonde looked at him with a quirked eyebrow, breathed out and released his younger brother. Kili threw himself at the floor and curled up, rocking slightly.

"Evil hands tried to take my life away..." Kili whispered, eyes wide in fear. "Evil hands are evil..."

Fili rolled his eyes at the younger's reactions, but upon noticing Legolas' confused gaze he explained, "Kili doesn't like people touching his neck. When we were kids he was stupid enough to get in a fight with a much bigger boy that choked him. I was there to stop it, of course, but he was traumatized."

"And you use that trauma against him now?" Legolas asked, clearly unimpressed with the younger male's actions.

Fili shrugged while Legolas crossed his arms. "Trauma upon trauma helps him. And if getting his neck squeezed softly will stop him from sexually harassing Bofur at every turn, then maybe I will do it."

Ori rolled his eyes but he was already used to Fili's eccentric ways so he wasn't too shocked by his words. "You said we'd be able to play some video games."

At the mention of these words Kili jumped up with a broad smile. "Let's play Smash Bros. I call Captain Fabulous!" He exclaimed, grabbing Ori's wrist to pull him towards the couch.

Fili rolled his own eyes at his brother but turned to Legolas with soft smirk. "Besides, Kili is Kili. He doesn't really let much get him down."

Legolas' frown let the other blonde know he really wasn't impressed with anything that had happened.

* * *

"Dwalin? What are you doing here?" Thorin asked as he saw his best friend in the doorway to his office, frown in place.

The bald man was wearing his Security uniform and seemed as threatening as ever, but Thorin wasn't too bothered by this. He had known Dwalin since childhood and knew the man wasn't as scary as he seemed.

"Have the boys been acting strangely?"

Thorin quirked an eyebrow at the odd question and cleared his throat, straightening up in his chair. He had been working on yet another case but it wasn't too important. It was a simple case of he said-she said, and it wouldn't bee too hard to win. So he thought he could take a small break to listen to his best friend.

"Well, Fili and Kili have always been rather strange. You've known them since they were children."

Dwalin sighed and nodded at this, then turned around to look at the office behind him. What he saw seemed to make him comfortable but he still entered the room and closed the door behind him.

Thorin was not the kind to worry easily but seeing his best friend acting in such an odd manner was letting him know this was yet another normal episode of his nephews stupidity.

"Is everything alright?"

Dwalin sat down in front of his desk and passed a hand over his scalp. "Well, yes, but... You know how Ori is a good friend of the lads? And how Nori worries over his brother so he sometimes stalks them?"

"Yes. I don't agree with Nori's methods, of course, but having him around helps reign in the boys at times." Thorin noted and Dwalin frowned grimly.

"He tells me all three of them are in on something."

Thorin quirked an eyebrow at his friend and pursed his lips slightly. He had known his nephews were clearly hiding something with the way they acted when he last visited them but he never thought Ori would be in on it. He had always thought Dwalin's young yet mature boyfriend would be much too serious to ever allow the brothers to drag him down with them.

"And Ori's been rather jumpy whenever I mention the lads around him." Dwalin sighed, shaking his head.

When he had first met Ori he had fallen in love instantly. The psychology student had been trying to order some coffee at a shop Dwalin just happened to be in but some jerk decided to cut the line and push him out of the line. And instead of fighting him, Ori had just huffed and gotten up, making his way to the back of the line.

Dwalin of course hadn't liked that so he shoved the cutter out of the line and gotten him thrown out of the shop. Then he had gotten Ori and paid for his drink and the rest of it was history. He'd known that Ori was too young for him, but the young man didn't really seem to mind. And Fili and Kili accepting him as their friend the minute they met him had made almost all of Dwalin's worries vanish.

But now that he saw Ori lying whenever talking about the Durin family, Dwalin was becoming worried. It wasn't that he didn't trust Ori, but he worried for him. And he had known Fili and Kili for their whole lives so he knew in just how much trouble they would get themselves into before they called on their mother or uncle to help.

Thorin frowned at this, "Now that you mention it, when I went to visit them they were rather jumpy. Even lied about the three plates on the counter..."

Dwalin quirked an eyebrow at this, clearly not knowing what his friend meant, but Thorin just waved him off. "All you must know is that Kili tells me he now has a girlfriend."

This shocked hi friend for Dwalin's eyebrows shot up and his eyes went wide. "Kili? That lad can't even talk to a girl without sticking his foot in his mouth!"

Thorin smirked while nodding. "You know... I believe it is time we played these kids in the manner they believe they are playing us."

* * *

"Boys, it's not like I didn't mind you having your friends over," Bofur said as soon as the door closed behind Ori, finally leaving the brothers alone with Bofur. "But next time, how about you tell me when they're coming? I could have at least saved myself from the awkwardness that came when Kili pointed out my uniform."

"But you look so adorable in it, Bofur!" Kili whined, hugging him once more.

Fili rolled his eyes at Kili's antics, "We're sorry for that, Bofur. We'll tell you next time, how about that?"

"That's good." Bofur sighed and hugged Kili back. "Now would you let go of me, lad? I'm going to head over and take a shower before I go to sleep."

Kili smiled broadly at him now, "How about I join you?"

Bofur's face lit up like a Christmas tree at the suggestive tone and he spluttered for an answer. Fili only shook his head at them with a small smile and looked over at the house phone as it began to rang. He walked over to it and answered, ignoring Bofur's pleas and Kili's crude words.

"Hello?"

_"Fili, how are you my boy?"_

"Nori?" Fili asked, pursing his lips slightly. "I'm good... And you?"

_"Oh, you know how it is in my business. Hey, I was wondering, can I stay over tonight? Dwalin's kind of kicked me out of his apartment and I need a place to stay."_

Fili frowned as he turned to the other two men in the room, who had become silent with the turn in his mood. "Um... I don't see much of-"

_"Thank you, lad!" _Nori cut in before Fili could deny him. _"I'll be over in an hour or two. And don't worry about it, I won't be staying for more than a week. You know how persuasive Ori can be when he wants."_

With that Nori hung up on Fili and the blonde started to freak out internally.

"Kili, make a bag and throw Bofur's stuff in there. We have to hide him again!"

Bofur gasped as Kili grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into their shared room, leaving Fili out in the living room alone. The blonde rubbed at his temples for a second or two before dialing a new number on his telephone. It ran two times before the person on the other line picked up.

"Hello? There's no time to explain. Can you help Kili and I hide Bofur for a while?"

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	8. Chapter 8

"Lads, just who is this Bofur you spoke of over the phone?"

"Please, Mr. Bogggins, could we enter your home and get ourselves settled before you start questioning us as if we were nothing but common criminals?" Kili asked in a slightly exasperated tone, barreling through the shorter man's door to enter his house. "Follow me, Bofur."

Bilbo stared on in wide eyed amazement as a man he had never seen before followed after Kili, taking his hat off in an apologizing manner with a soft smile.

"My name is Baggins, Kili. And I really do not appreciate you barging into my home in the middle of the night- interrupting my stories mind you-" Bilbo began to tell Kili, fully ready to scold him to high heaven, only to have Fili clasp his large hand over the smaller's mouth.

"Bilbo, _please..._" Fili pleaded as he moved to face the man with the curly hair. "You have been a friend of ours much longer than you've known our uncle." Fili winced as he heard a scream of pain from the depths of Bilbo's small house, while said man's eyes widened.

"Sorry! Bofur didn't see the coffee table and I accidentally pushed him towards it!" Kili apologized and Fili sighed with a shake of his head.

Bilbo's eyes widened in worry for the man he hadn't been introduced to yet, but Fili kept his hand over Bilbo's mouth as he went to talk, stopping him completely.

"_Please_, Mr. Baggins. Just hear us out. If you don't like what you hear we'll leave without a fight. Just please listen to our story and if you are as respectable and generous as we believe you are, you'll let Bofur stay!"

Bilbo glared softly at the younger male from beneath his curls, but from the broad grin Fili was sending him, Bilbo could infer that he didn't look as threatening as he had hoped. So, with a huff and a cross of his arms Bilbo nodded, pouting slightly at his defeat to the much younger man.

"Thank you, Mr. Boggins!" Fili cheered as he hugged the slender man tightly, getting a gasp of shock from Bilbo.

"My name is Baggins, Fili! How many times must I reiterate this?"

* * *

Now Fili and Kili were back in their apartment after having convinced Bilbo to hide their friend for the next week or two.

When they had first started explaining how they had come to know Bofur Bilbo had tried to scold them, because, really, these kids were supposed to know better than take in a stranger from the street into their home on the very day they met him.

But after more explanations and some promises of paying Bilbo back later on, Fili and Kili were able to leave their friend in the hands of their old elementary and high school teacher.

"Can you believe Mr. Boggins is actually helping us?" Kili asked with a sigh of relief, falling backwards onto the couch.

Fili smiled at his brother with a nod, falling beside him. "At first it seemed like he was going to refuse us, but I guess our charm still works, huh, brother?"

The brothers shared a small laugh as they both thought back on to the time when Bilbo was still their teacher but their musings were cut short with a sharp knock on the door.

They looked at each other, trying to get the other to open the door, but Kili eventually sighed and stood up because he knew this wasn't a fight he would win.

When he opened it he found Nori leaning against the wall in front of them, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and a cigarette in between his lips.

"Nori! You can't smoke here!" Kili hissed as soon as he noticed the object and he lunged to try and pry it from Nori.

The older man just side stepped him and plucked the cigarette out of his mouth, holding it right in Kili's face, "It's an electronic one, Kili. Ori and Dori insisted on me using this instead of the good old normal ones."

With that he placed it back in his mouth and entered the apartment, smirking when he saw Fili's tired form on the couch.

"What's wrong, Fili? Not excited to see me?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest while Fili mustered up a small smirk of his own.

"No, just waiting to hear the story of how you got kicked out by Dwalin again."

Nori chuckled softly and nodded at the younger man, then turned to Kili, who had just come back from closing the door behind him.

"I'm going to take my stuff to my room, then I'll tell you the whole story." He told the brothers who just nodded.

Nori had been over so many times ever since they had gotten the apartment that really weren't all that surprised or annoyed with whatever he did anymore. As long as he didn't break anything or ruin the brothers routine then they were more than glad to let him stay.

With those words the older man went to the room that he had deemed as his own and threw his duffel bag inside and, after having made sure that everything he had left was still there, walked back out to the main hall to find the brothers watching wrestling.

"You kids still watch that?"

The only answer he received was a small grunt from Kili, which just made him roll his eyes. "Didn't you want to know what I did this time around?"

This seemed to catch their attention because the brothers immediately turned to Nori, eyes wide and waiting to hear his newest adventure. "Yes, please!" They chorused, making Nori smirk.

He sat down in between the younger males and, with a smile, began his story.

* * *

Bilbo found Bofur a bit odd. Not only were his hat, mustache, and braids rather weird, but the fact that he actually allowed the brothers to command him and control him without any kind of fight was the oddest part.

From the hour of interaction Bilbo had seen between the three he was actually beginning to feel sorry for the male that had been roped into the boys eccentric ways.

Right now the hatted man was sitting tensely on the couch, twiddling with his thumbs as Bilbo prepared some tea.

"So... Um... Mr. Broadbeam, was it?" Bilbo asked to break the tense silence, making Bofur look up at him.

"Aye, that is correct. But, please, call me Bofur."

Bilbo turned to the man with a soft smile, wondering just how such a nice man was doing hanging around such crude and rude boys like Fili and Kili.

"All right then, Bofur. Would you like anything with your tea?"

Bofur smiled broadly at Bilbo's words and the shorter could tell that tea was a very good thing for the other man. "With milk and honey, if you could." His voice was clearly animated and Bofur cleared his throat, noticing that he sounded too excited. "Please... If you would like..." He mumbled after, seemingly shrinking back into his seat.

Bilbo's smile seemed to warm even more at the man's actions, feeling a tug at his heart. It had been so long since he had last met anyone that was as bashful as Bofur seemed. After years of hanging around the friendships he had made in America he had almost forgotten how kind the people from other countries could be.

"Honey and milk it is, then." Bilbo hummed to himself.

After he was done serving both Bofur and himself Bilbo walked towards his living room and set the drinks on the coffee table. He glanced around the room as Bofur reached for his drink then shook his head softly and leaned down to grab the remote control for the television.

"Well, Mr. Bofur, seeing how we'll be sharing my home for the foreseeable future, I believe it would be very good to know a bit about each other." The curly haired man cleared his throat softly as he sat down, placing the controller on the arm rest beside him.

Bofur quirked an eyebrow at him, as if wondering just why Bilbo would want to talk to him, but nodded softly. "Guess that's a good idea... Well, I guess I'll begin..."

* * *

"Can't catch me!"

Those screams were the first thing that caught Thorin's attention when he stepped in front of the door of the boys' apartment. What next caught his attention was the raucous laughter and squeals that accompanied the scream.

"Dammit, Nori..." Thorin breathed softly. "You're supposed to be spying on them, not befriending them even further..." Thorin cursed the man he had thought was trustworthy, but still composed himself and knocked on the door to the apartment.

The laughter and screams stopped as soon as he did so and all seemed to freeze inside the apartment because there were no noises. Then, suddenly, there was scuttling around the room and a sharp yelp of pain before Fili opened the door, red faced with a terse smile.

"Uncle! How great it is to see you!" He exclaimed in a cheery voice, only to have it deadpan later, even if he still held his smile. "What are you doing here?"

Thorin cocked an eyebrow at his tone but still answered. "I wanted to resume our past conversation. I had to run off because-"

"Of an important client's call, we know, uncle!" Kili was suddenly beside his brother, smiling broadly. "But we're having fun now! Nori's gotten kicked out of Dwalin's again and he's crashing here!"

Thorin looked down at them with mild curiosity, "And what did he do to get kicked out now?"

And now Nori appeared above both brothers' heads, smirking widely, "Because Dwalin is uptight and won't let me have any fun, cousin!"

The look the three received from their elder let them know he was clearly not amused. So Nori sighed and backed up, "The truth is I accidentally... may have... As a consequence of an action I didn't really know I was taking..." He began to stall.

But Fili wasn't in the mood for being nice so he turned to his uncle, "He set fire to their kitchen, Thorin."

Kili smiled broadly now, "And he tried to blame the manufacturers for it! We have a funny cousin, Uncle!"

The look Thorin gave the three men let them know that he really wasn't too amused with them. Nori went back into the apartment because of the unamused glance his cousin was sending his way while waving at him noncommittally.

"You know how persuasive Ori can be, cousin. I will be out of your hair in less than a week, tops."

Thorin frowned as the man walked away but shook his head then turned to his nephews. "His stupid decision making and rash actions better not rub off on you two. You know how your mother feels about our cousin."

Fili and Kili both gulped audibly, completely aware of just how much disdain Dis had for Nori. They nodded rapidly, and once Thorin was sure they were going to at least going to behave marginally, he nodded and went for the door.

"And Nori!" He called, making the man look at him from his seat on the couch. "You best be on your best behavior. I will know if anything is missing from this apartment."

With the threat Thorin left the three men, Nori with a frown while the brothers snickered softly. They knew that Nori had a small problem with thievery and that was exactly why their mom didn't want him around them. But they didn't care as long as he didn't still anything from them.

"So..." Fili began, "What are we going to do first?"

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	9. Chapter 9

Bofur was thoroughly enjoyed with the surprise that Bilbo was. He was a very down to earth man and didn't really pry too much into his life. But, because Bofur was just an open kind of person, he basically told the older man most of his life.

Of course, Bilbo was in shock when he heard that he had been homeless for almost five years and Bofur swore he could see a glint of pride in his eyes when he said that Fili and Kili had been the ones to offer him a second chance in life.

From just the small amount of time they spent together that first night, Bofur could tell the rest of the time they would be together wouldn't be bad at all.

So a week passed before either Fili or Kili passed by, and when they did, they had Ori in tow.

Bofur had been watering the plants in Bilbo's garden when he'd heard sounds of scuffling, so he'd walked towards the front of the house and opened the door, only to find Kili and Ori arguing in front of him, Fili and Bilbo trying to get them to shut up.

"What's going on, lads?" Bofur asked, grabbing the attention of both boys for a split second.

Only to have them jump at him, screaming about something or another because poor Bofur really could not make out a word they were saying.

"Brother! Stop this silly nonsense!" Fili scolded, eyes wide as he looked down at the pile on the floor that were the men.

"Ori! I would never have thought I would see you acting in such a childish manner!" Bilbo gasped, all the while leaning down to try and pry the men off of Bofur.

"No! Mister Bofur has to be the one to resolve this issue!" Kili grouched, slapping away Bilbo's hand, eliciting a sharp gasp from the older man.

"That's true!" Ori agreed, nodding wildly while Fili rolled his eyes at them.

"He doesn't know a thing about what you were guys are talking! He'd be more confused than helpful, if you ask me."

Bofur quirked an eyebrow at Fili's attitude, actually surprised by the younger seeming so apathetic towards whatever was going on at the moment, but didn't say anything about it because Kili spoke up.

"Exactly! The fact that he knows nothing means he can make a decision without prejudice!"

Ori was nodding with the slightly older male, clearly agreeing on the matter. "Mr. Bofur will be perfect for this, Fili! He'll be able to solve this debate without making either of us question his choice!"

Fili glared at both of them now. "You are really making yourselves believe you will not be angered when Bofur solves this problem completely randomly, oblivious to all the pros and cons of each choice?"

"Now you're getting it, brother!" Kili smiled broadly and Fili only rolled his eyes, turning to Bilbo with a shake of his head.

"They've finally lost it. I knew having Nori around would finish breaking the poor boy's mind."

Bilbo smiled softly at Fili's words, fond of all of the boys around him, then looked at Bofur as he looked at him with a curious gaze. The other man most probably wanted some kind of explanation for the the younger males' behavior.

But before Bilbo could do anything to help appease his newest friend, Kili and Ori jumped in front of him with broad smiles on their faces.

"Okay Mister Funny-Guy! We need you to settle this great debate we've been having for the past week because of Nori!" Kili began, then Ori continued.

"It's been eating away at us and our fights have been escalating! Now, we need your utmost honesty without any kind of prejudice! Got it, Mister Bofur?" Kili asked, eyes wide and reminding Bofur a lot of a puppy.

The hatted man had no idea what they could be going on about, but whatever it could have been, it was clearly important for both men. So Bofur just nodded silently, unsure of what this great debate could have been about.

Kili breathed in, while Ori stared at him with a set gaze. Then the question left the black haired man's mouth and made Bofur start doubting his decision to allow himself to be dragged into the debate.

"Who would win: Hulk or Superman?"

Fili groaned as both men looked at Bofur, clearly wanting him to answer, while Bilbo could only eye them with an annoyed warmness. Only these two...

Bofur blinked as the two looked at him, fully expecting him to answer. But, to tell the truth, Bofur was feeling a bit insulted. He may have been homeless, but that did not mean he had no idea who these two heroes were. He _had_ been around to read a few of their older comics.

So the mustached man crossed his arms and looked at the men with a small frown. But, an idea came to his mind and the frown quickly turned into a mischievous smile.

Ori and Kili were too interested in his answer to notice his mood changes for they really wanted someone to end the argument they had been involved in.

"Well, lads, the answer to that question is actually very simple," Bofur told them, smiling even more broadly when they seemed to lean in towards him. "The hero that would win that brawl would be none other than-" He left himself hanging, giving them more suspense.

"Just tell us!" Ori gasped, Kili now glaring at the older man.

Bofur rolled his eyes at their impatience but still answered, "Batman. Batman would beat them both."

There was a moment of silence in which Ori and Kili thought on the man's answer, which Bofur used to enter the Bilbo's house and get a headstart from the younger males, then they finally processed what the man had said.

"Hey! That doesn't count!" Ori yelled.

So both men took off running after a giggling Bofur while Fili shook his head and Bilbo smiled fondly at all of them.

* * *

"Have you not heard anything yet, Nori?"

The semi-thief looked up to find none other than Thorin Durin standing in front of him, casting a large shadow over him. Nori blinked up at him, wondering just how the larger man had been so quiet, then leaned to the left to find Dwalin closing the apartment door behind him.

Nori sighed as he crossed his arms, moving to place his throwing knives behind his back. He had been in the middle of sharpening them in the apartment's living room, just waiting for Fili and Kili to come back from Bilbo's place.

"I actually have, Thorin." Nori flashed both the men a sly smile, "But it'll cost you."

Dwalin's body immediately tensed as his frown became fiercer while Thorin glared at the younger man. Nori smiled broadly at the angered men, then shook his head softly and waved his hand in a noncommittal manner.

"I was kidding you." Nori told them simply before standing up, sly smile still in place. "The boys headed to Bilbo's place this morning. I started a small argument between Kili and Ori and may have sent them on their way to give you guys a reason to visit them over there."

Dwalin quirked an eyebrow at the shorter man, silently asking him to elaborate, so Nori did.

"Fili and Kili had just come from Bilbo's house the day I got here but wouldn't give me an extremely specific reason. So I gave them a reason to go there again and now we're going to have a reason to go there and visit."

Both of the larger men stood quiet for a second, processing his plan, but when they finally understood it, Dwalin had to admit that Nori was maybe not as stupid as initially thought. Now if he could only get Ori to permanently kick him out of their house.

"That is actually a pretty good plan, Nori." Thorin acknowledged as Nori stood up and gave them a mock bow.

"I know, right?" Nori smirked at both of them, then looked at the clock on the television. "We should get going though. I'm sure that their argument must have at least ended by now... And if not, I feel sorry for Bilbo."

Thorin and Dwalin nodded then followed the odd man out the apartment door.

* * *

Now Kili and Ori were still glaring at Bofur, but it was with less anger and just plain old annoyance. Bilbo had managed to calm down the lads while Fili hid Bofur behind his back, all the while the mustached man made funny faces at Kili and Ori to further taunt them.

All five men were in Bilbo's living room and the shortest man there was doing his best to keep from smiling at the angered and frustrated faces that the youngest there made, all the while Fili had no qualms about laughing at them.

"You look so funny, brother! Like a child that's just had his candy taken away!"

Kili humphed and crossed his arms with a pout, turning his head away from his brother to not have to look at him straight in the eyes. Bofur smiled softly at them and stood up to make his way towards them both. Once he was in front of the couch Kili and Ori were sitting in he sat himself down in between them and threw his arms over their shoulders.

"Come on, lads! It was just a joke!"

Ori grumbled and shifted away from Bofur and Kili stuck his tongue out at him. Bofur rolled his eyes at their childish actions but pestered on.

"You asked me a question with a rather ignorant disposition, don't you think?" He asked them and Kili's annoyance shifted into curiosity. "I may have been homeless, but that does not mean I was completely shut off from the rest of the world."

At hearing those words, both men looked at each other and noticed just how mean they had been in inferring that Bofur didn't know what superheroes were. They looked up at Bofur who then smiled broadly at both of them.

"I forgive you, lads. Just don't let it happen again."

Kili's smile was almost as broad as Bofur's own when he lunged to hug the hatted man and Ori's seemed to reach his ears as he too hugged Bofur from his other side.

"We promise, Mr. Bofur!" They promised together and Bilbo couldn't help but feel some warmth as he saw how kind these boys had become.

Fili rolled his eyes at his brother's theatrics once more but turned to the door when he heard a knock. "I'll get it." He told them while Kili and Ori continued hugging Bofur tightly, even though the older was trying to pry them off.

The blonde made his way to the door and opened it, only for his good mood to drop once more when he found Nori smiling at him.

"What are you three doing here?" He asked, frowning softly.

Thorin quirked an eyebrow at his nephew's sour attitude but attributed it to Nori's annoyance and shrugged it off. "We're here to visit Bilbo, of course."

Nori made his way into the house and Dwalin followed suit, leaving Fili and Thorin outside, the blonde frowning at his uncle's slightly weak story. Thorin never visited Bilbo anymore. Well, not ever since they broke up. And with Nori's sudden appearance in their apartment, Fili couldn't help but think they were all planning something.

"Come on, Fili. It's been too long since I last had a calm conversation with our favorite teacher." Thorin threw an arm over Fili and pulled him into the house.

But once they got to the living room, Thorin froze, confusing his nephew. Fili looked up at his uncle's still form and followed his line of sight, only to groan loudly once he knew what had made his uncle stop in his tracks.

And the deer caught in headlights look Bofur gave the the older male wasn't helping at all.

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	10. Chapter 10

Thorin had never seen such a man before. His mustache and gravity-defying braids were quite a sight but... There was something about him. Thorin didn't know what it was, but he was instantly attracted the second their eyes locked.

"Oh, Thorin!" Bilbo greeted after a second or two of tense silence in which Bofur and Thorin continued staring at each other, Kili and Ori hugging the other tightly as they saw the older men walking into the room.

"Dwalin? What are you doing here?" Ori asked his boyfriend, quirking an eyebrow when he saw Nori smirking mischievously at him.

The large man frowned softly as he saw his boyfriend and his best friend's nephew hugging an unknown man, but shook his head and did his best to smile.

"We passed by the apartment to take you boys out to dinner but Nori told us we'd find you here. We were planning on going to-"

Kili had quirked his ears as soon as he'd heard dinner, but when Dwalin continued, he felt like he just _had_ to interrupt the older man.

"You were going to take us out!? Oh, Dwalin, you shouldn't have!"

Dwalin glared at the younger male, feeling annoyed at the interruption, but Thorin cleared his throat before the two could begin one of their now famous arguments.

"Bilbo. Who might this be?" Thorin greeted, doing his best to maintain all composure while inquiring about the handsome man being squeezed tightly by his nephew and said nephew's best friend.

Clearly Dwalin didn't like the fact that Ori was hugging the man so tightly and, quite frankly, Thorin didn't like it either. Kili really should know better than to choke others like that. And if he felt a little something on seeing the beautiful man being hugged like that, well... No one else had to know.

Bilbo blinked in slight shock, surprised to find Thorin actually talking to him without needing to be pushed by his nephews. Before, when the breakup had still been fresh, Thorin didn't even want to look at him. Maybe he'd finally moved on after the years, though.

"Well... Uh... This is Bofur Broadbeam, Thorin. Bofur, this is Thorin, Kili and Fili's uncle." Bilbo introduced them, all the while Bofur smiled nervously at the older man.

Thorin did his best to smile back but his nephew interrupted once more, "Thorin, if you're going to take us out for dinner, you should let us bring Bofur as well! Ooh, and Bilbo too!"

Kili couldn't see it and the rest weren't able either, but Bilbo sent a deathly glare at the young man for a millisecond before composing himself and chuckling at his words.

"Oh, Kili. I am sure your uncle was not planning on taking so many people with him to lunch. Anyways, I have already eaten and must be going on my way. I have to look after my shop, after all." Bilbo chuckled softly, placing a heavy hand on Kili's shoulder to start squeezing it harshly.

Kili did his best to keep his composure as Bilbo hurt him and continued smiling. "But I am sure he wouldn't mind two more!"

"I wouldn't at all." Thorin spoke up after clearing his throat, grabbing even Kili's attention. "We were already taking the boys and Nori. Two more really wouldn't be a bother."

Bofur smiled softly as Kili cheered and Bilbo retracted his hand, smiling as well, but tense in annoyance.

Fili- unlike the other dense men in the room- actually was able to notice all of the emotions coursing through not only Bilbo, but Bofur and Thorin as well, and he couldn't help but smile. First of all, it was about time his uncle moved on. And secondly of all, Kili really needed to learn how to keep his mouth shut.

* * *

Now the group of eight were eating in Fili and Kili's favorite restaurant, the three best friends seating with Bofur in their booth while the older men sat in the booth in front of them. They all had already ordered and were waiting for the food while Kili and Fili colored in the paper place mat usually given to children.

"I'll get the chicken to cross the road before you can!" Kili gasped as he used his left hand to bump in Fili's right while the blonde growled at him.

"You do that again, Kili, and I will cut your hair while you sleep!" Fili threatened, and Kili squeaked in fear, moving to the right only to bump into Ori.

Thorin, while his two nephews did this, groaned softly and shook his head, wondering just from which side of the family they had gotten their innate stupidity from. Bilbo and Nori were both amused by the younger men while Dwalin was feeling kind of annoyed with his boy friend being touched so much by them.

As they continued their Stupid Games- as Bilbo lovingly called them- Thorin turned to Bofur. "So, Bofur, right? How did you come to meet Bilbo?"

Bofur looked up from the boys' games to look at Thorin, actually shocked to find the other man speaking to him. From the information given to him by Kili and Fili, Thorin wasn't really the kind to talk. Or socialize. Or want to meet new people. Or be around people he knew that weren't his friends.

"Well... Uh..." Bofur struggled to find a credible story, but lucky enough, Bilbo answered for him.

"Bofur and I were friends back in Ireland. You know how I spent a few of my childhood years over there before returning to England?" Bilbo asked Thorin, who nodded. "Well he was my best friend back then."

And, seeing how this was a lie he could run with, Bofur added to it, "We lost touch back when Bilbo moved to England but I found him a few years ago. I recently moved here to America so Bilbo was nice enough to take me in until I could find a stable job and somewhere to live."

Thorin nodded at the story, completely believing it, and turned to Fili as he cheered in victory.

"I told you I would win, you annoying cretin!" Fili laughed while Kili's eyes filled with tears, pouting at his brother's words.

"You don't have to be so mean about it..." Kili mumbled and Fili rolled his eyes.

"Well you didn't have to try and cheat, but you did. So that's what you get."

"So, Thorin, the boys tell me you're a lawyer?" Bofur asked, ignoring the boys this time to continue talking with the older male.

Thorin nodded, "Yes, I work in my family's firm along with Dwalin. He's the head of our security."

Bofur nodded at the bearded man then turned to the only man there that had yet to speak to him. "And you, uh... Nori?"

Nori perked up at the mention of his name- seeing how he'd been in too enthralled in his own mind to pay attention to the conversation- and turned to find the new guy looking at him with slight curiously.

"Huh?" He asked somewhat lamely.

"What do you work as, brother?" Ori asked to not have Bofur repeat it.

"Oh. Well, Bofur, I'm a jack of all trades. My job just depends on who's contracting me and how much they're paying me." Nori shrugged with a smirk.

Bofur nodded at it- even though Nori had not answered completely- and turned to the boys once more. Kili was still sulking over his loss while Fili smirked down at him, rejoicing in his victory. He found this somewhat funny, how the two boys interacted, then looked up when their food arrived.

The men's small talk continued as they ate and as Thorin spoke to him about a recent case he was on, Bofur couldn't help but wonder just why Fili and Kili had been so adamant about their uncle meeting him. Sure, if he'd known that his nephews had taken in a homeless man from the streets, Thorin might have been a bit angry. But right now, as he spoke kindly to him while the rest of the table continued in their own endeavors, Bofur found himself kind of annoyed with the boys for not letting him meet their uncle sooner.

* * *

"Thank you so much for the meal, Thorin!" Bilbo spoke up as the large group exited the restaurant, Fili and Kili in front of them wrestling about who would get the leftovers.

"It was nothing, Bilbo." Thorin answered even though he was looking at Bofur the whole time. "It really was a pleasure to meet you, Bofur."

Bofur could feel his cheeks reddening at the way Thorin addressed him, but still smiled. "The pleasure's all mine, Mr. Durin."

"Hey, Thorin, we'll start heading over to the car." Nori cleared his throat as he wrapped an arm around Bilbo's shoulders, pulling the smaller man in closer.

The man had a mischievous glint in his eyes and Dwalin could tell he was up to no good, but from the way Thorin's face brightened up at the idea of being left alone, he just sighed with a shake of his head and started to walk towards their car. Kili and Fili followed after the other four men, still horsing around and bumping into each other with large smiles on their faces.

Bofur smiled after the group then turned to Thorin when he cleared his throat.

"Well, Bofur. I know we've just met, but I..." Thorin gulped now, feeling a bit embarrassed with what he was about to say to a man he had just recently met.

But his nephews had pushed him to be a bit more adventurous and they seemed to trust Bofur enough. Maybe he should take a risk and go on a limb for this Bofur fellow.

"Well, you were looking for employment, correct? And you can cook?" Thorin asked, which made Bofur cock his head to the side slightly.

"Aye. I believe I can hold my own in a kitchen."

"You see, there's just been an opening in my building's café, they need a busboy or something along those lines. And I know it's not the most glamorous of jobs, but considering how hard it's been for you to find anything I thought it might be a good option for you."

Thorin had at first felt a bit embarrassed for offering something so stupid, but from the smile Bofur sent his way, he knew he had done right. "You think you could help me get an interview for that, Thorin? Oh, that would be perfect! I would even take a job scrubbing floors if it meant finally getting an income!"

And much to both their shocks, Bofur threw himself at Thorin and hugged him tightly, smiling extremely brightly.

It seemed like, finally, after so much hardship and pain, things were looking up for Bofur.

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	11. Chapter 11

"Fili! We've got ourselves a small problem!" Kili yelled as soon as Nori was out of their door, on his way back to his job.

Today he was working on something or another, but Kili didn't really care about the secretive man right now. He had more important things on his mind that were a tiny bit more important than Nori's odd jobs.

Fili growled as he walked out of his room, scratching at his head and in the foulest of moods. Today was the only off day he had from college and Kili was already screaming up a storm. He was not amused at all.

"What in the world is wrong with you, brother? You know today is my only day off." Fili glared at his younger brother, who glared right back at him.

"Our uncle is trying to steal our Bofur!"

Fili, admittedly, had to think and process what his brother had just said. Had he really just whined about what he thought he had whined about?

"Excuse you?"

Kili now crossed his arms, clearly not amused with his less than attentive brother. "You heard me! Uncle Thorin is going to take Bofur and keep him for himself!"

Fili actually blinked at his younger brother in confusion. He had become accustomed to the younger's eccentric ways and, really, there weren't that many things that Kili could do to shock him anymore. But it seemed like the dark haired man still had some surprises left in him because this really shocked Fili.

"You just heard yourself, right?" Fili asked, and when he got a nod from his brother, asked, "Just what in the world is wrong with you? This is a good thing!"

Kili gasped at him, "Good thing?! Fili, Thorin is going to take Mr. Funny Guy away from us!"

The blonde man rolled his eyes at his brother's theatrics and made his way into the kitchen, where Kili followed him. "You are overreacting, Kili. Our uncle would do no such thing. Besides, what's a little attraction for Thorin? It's been so long since he's last dated."

Suddenly Kili appeared in front of him, in between his body and the kitchen's counter. Fili jumped back in shock but Kili continued as if what he had done was completely normal.

"He last dated Bilbo, Fili! And we all know how that ended!" Kili announced, "We cannot allow him to date another friend!"

"And just why can we not allow our uncle to have an actual love life?" Fili asked, quirking an eyebrow as he moved to the refrigerator, only to have his path blocked once more by an overly excited Kili.

"Because he is going to muck the relationship up and then Bofur will not want to be around us anymore! Just like Bilbo! Because who would want to hang out with their ex's nephews?"

At Kili's exasperated state, Fili noticed something very important. Even though his younger brother was extremely excitable and seemed to be the most carefree person in the world, he'd always had his serious and actually thought out moments. Those moments were few and far in between, but when he had them Fili knew better than to ignore them.

So he sighed, "Bilbo never did like hanging out with us as much as he did before Thorin after they broke up..." He admitted, remembering how hurt he had been every time they'd invited the man out only to be turned down by some lame excuse.

Their uncle had dated their elementary school teacher, Bilbo, about five or six years ago. Their relationship had been a happy one and seemed as if it would last, but not even a year in and they decided to call it quits. Fili and Kili both loved Bilbo as if he were another uncle so they had taken the rapture the hardest, but had grown to live with the differences in their lives. But it still hurt to know that they had almost loved a beloved school teacher because of Thorin's decisions.

"Exactly. Now put Bofur in the same place Bilbo was in the beginning. Now he's all enchanted with our uncle's good looks and deep voice and is even more grateful because of the chance to get himself a good job." Kili started to explain, Fili now seated in front of the kitchen's island, any thought of food vanished as his thoughts took a darker turn for Bofur and Thorin.

"But imagine if they get to where they clearly want to get to. Our uncle is a hard headed man and he clearly isn't the kind that takes stupidity for too long. Bofur thrives because of how we are. Bilbo did as well."

"But Kili, you cannot possibly say that Bofur and Bilbo are the exact same-"

Now Kili placed a finger in front of his brother's lips, "I am _not_ saying that, my brother! I am saying Bilbo was fond of our stupid ways until Thorin got his claws on him! And now, where is he? He scolds us for the dumbest of things! Always going on about respectability and what not!"

Fili pursed his lips, pushing his brother's hand away. "But Bofur would not wind up like that. He is clearly-"

And once more Kili interrupted him. "I do not wish to know what _would_ happen if our uncle got a hold of our newest friend, Fili." Now the black haired man leaned in, eyes narrowed dangerously. "He may end up fine and well and our friendship would continue... Or he could be changed so horribly that he'd pack his bags and leave for Ireland in the next few months, never to be heard from again."

Fili's eyes widened in both fear and shock. Over the short period of time he had come to know Bofur, he'd come to really like the older male. He liked his fun yet knew when to stop. He was the perfect balance for the brothers. And they already had a very good dynamic between the three of them. Having their uncle muscle his way into their group could devastate the whole thing.

With this the blonde jumped up from his chair, hands slamming onto the counter-top. "We cannot allow our uncle to date Bofur!"

* * *

"Are you sure this is okay for my interview?" Bofur asked for the seventh time that hour, shifting slightly in his seat as he waited for Thorin to pack up all his things.

"I've told you enough times already, Bofur. You are going to an interview for a family friends. You will be applying for a job in a _bakery_. Believe me when I tell you that they do not expect you to be wearing a Ravazzolo."

With this Thorin looked at the mustached man, who was wringing his hat in his hands, only to find Bofur giving him a questioning look.

"Ravioli?"

Thorin's mouth twitched into a faint smile at this, then he shook his head and picked his briefcase up from his desk. "It's a suit designer, Bofur. And that's what I mean, they won't be expecting you to know things like that."

Bofur smiled at the man's calm and soothing words, yet couldn't help but look down at himself. He felt so extremely under dressed for a job interview. He was wearing one of the button up shirts the boy's had been nice enough to lend him, along with some casual yet dressy enough dress pants and black shoes. His mustache and hair were groomed, but he felt like a complete fish out of water.

He was really missing his clunky coat right now...

"Are you sure, Thorin? I mean-"

"Bofur, trust me will you? Why would I set you up for failure?" Thorin asked as he turned from the door, giving Bofur a small smirk. "I am not a spoiled brat that has not worked a day in his life so, in turn, does not know the perils of the working class. I would never do onto you what I would not want done to me or my family."

With those strong words he opened the door to his office and stepped outside. "Now come on. I don't want you to be late."

Bofur rose up from his chair and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, then looked at Thorin and nodded softly. He really didn't know what to expect from the job interview but he was sure of one thing.

Thorin really was one very interesting man.

* * *

"Your résumé here says you worked for a bakery back in Ireland? How did that work out?"

Bofur smiled softly as he thought back on his past with Bombur baking by his side as they worked in their uncle's shop. The man in front of him was a very nice man by the name of Bard, and he seemed to be the owner of the small bakery Bofur was applying to work for.

Bard was an extremely tall man with long brown hair that he kept tied up in a ponytail, along with soft and inviting chocolate brown eyes and a neatly trimmed beard.

"Well that was my uncle's small shop. I worked for most of my high school and college years there and it was quite a dream. I did anything they told me to do- clean up, bake something, even run deliveries- until my uncle passed and we had to close it down." Bofur reminisced with a bittersweet smile, the memories hitting him now that he actually that back on this years.

Just how was Bombur now? And Bifur? And the rest of the family he had been lying to the whole time he'd been in America?

Bard's soft smile became a frown at the mention of his uncle's death, "Oh, I am sorry to hear that..."

"Don't be! Those years were what made me get a strong work ethic! Because I worked with my uncle, I knew I couldn't talk back to him so I know what the boss says goes. And no matter the job, I'll do it. One of the perks of being told to do something new every day!" Bofur smiled up at Bard, who returned the smile.

"Well, it seems like you'd fit right in, Mr. Broadbeam." Bard said as he stood up, moving to the front of his desk.

"Please, call me Bofur. You'll be my boss now, aye?" Bofur asked, rising himself as Bard offered him his hand.

It seemed like nothing could make either of them really stop smiling. "That I will be. Now, let me tell you a little something about our bakery."

With this Bard led him out to the bakery's main floor, where Thorin sat talking to a business associate. There were two more people in the establishment, but not many because the lunch frenzy had died down.

"The initial idea of this was a mom-and-pop type of operation with my wife. Unfortunately, she passed away a few months before our grand opening so it's become a pop-and-daughter operation." Bard told Bofur as he led the male to the cashier, where his daughter was reading a business magazine.

"I am sorry to hear that-"

"Nonsense. As you said so yourself, it's only made me stronger." Bard interrupted, then placed a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "This is my daughter, Sigrid. My eldest. She runs the front of the bakery while I am baking or working on something or another in the back."

Sigrid placed the magazine on the counter and smiled, offering her hand to Bofur, "So you're the new worker? It was about time Da finally hired someone."

"Bofur Broadbeam, pleasure to meet you, lass." Bofur greeted as he shook the girl's hand, making her smile broadly.

"And he has manners. Da, I think you chose right."

Bard rolled his eyes at his daughter and turned to Bofur once more. "She's got quite a mouth. But don't worry, she knows not to be too terrible to the customers."

Bofur smiled as Sigrid winked at him then went back to her magazine, only to have Bard lead him away once more.

"This, of course, is where all the magic happens." Bard said as they entered the door at the end of the counter, the one that led to the kitchen. "You'll be starting out in the front with Sigrid, filling out orders and delivering, but if you prove to be good, you might be promoted to working back here with me."

Suddenly there was the sound of rapid footsteps and before Bofur could really take in the situation, there was a small girl in Bard's arms, hugging the man tightly. "With me too, Daddy! Don't forget about me!"

Bard smiled at the girl in his hands, "Now how could I forget about my number one baker?" He placed a kiss on her cheeks before turning to Bofur once more. "This is my youngest, Tilda. She helps out back here from time to time when she's not busy with _homework_."

Clearly this was something normal because the girl groaned loudly at the mention of the dreaded work, "But _Da_! I already went to school for first and second and third grade! Can't I just drop out and start working full time with you already?"

Bofur chuckled softly at Bard's look of indignation, then knelt so he was looking Tilda directly in the eyes. "Now, Tilda, wouldn't you like to be able to open up a whole chain of bakeries so everyone could enjoy your father's sweets?"

The young girl nodded, clearly excited by the idea.

"Well, you'll need a good education to be able to do just that! But, don't worry, I'm sure will leave the number one baker spot open until you come back from your studies!"

The girl squealed in delight at the idea while Bard could only smile at how well Bofur interacted with his young daughter. "You better keep that promise, daddy!" Tilda threatened, glaring slightly at her father.

So Bard only raised his right hand and placed his left over his heart, "Cross my heart and hope to die, love."

Tilda's smile could have lit up a city.

After giving Bofur the whole tour of the bakery- which wasn't all that much because it wasn't a very big shop- both men stood in the office once more, big smiles on their faces.

"Bofur, I believe you'll fit right in my family." Bard told him, clearly happy with the idea. "They aren't usually so open with strangers that want to work here."

Bofur blushed slightly at the praise, "I guess I'm just good with people, sir."

Bard nodded softly and led him to his office's door. "That you are, Bofur. I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning."

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	12. Chapter 12

Bofur's first day on the job was quite an eventful one.

He had expected a bit of craziness during the breakfast and lunch rushes, but he had no idea just how difficult his job would get when dinner rolled around.

It had been a rather good day up until then. Sigrid had helped him get used to all the craziness that was being in charge of the cash register, and soon enough he was catering to most of the customers that came in. Thorin and Dwalin had been nice enough to come eat their lunch here, but Bofur wasn't able to really talk to them if it wasn't to bring them food or their bill.

Bard had been proud of him and made sure to tell him.

It was when everything was much more calm that Nori came into the bakery, a small smirk in place as he did so.

"Aw. Mister Nori. What can I get for you?" Bofur asked as curtly as he could, looking at the man from his place behind the cash register.

"Oh. I just came here for some chocolate chip cookies, Bofur." Nori told him as he strode up to the register, only to have Bofur frown softly at him.

"I am sorry, Mister Nori. We ran out just a minute ago. Ori and Dwalin came in and took the last dozen."

If Nori had the power, Bofur was sure he would have been dead from the glare that was sent his way. "You mean I have to put up with the two terrible brats because of my brother and his boyfriend?"

Bofur cocked his head to the side, "Terrible brats?"

"Those two brats that happen to share the Durin name. Fili and Kili sent me here to get them chocolate chip cookies. If not, they will keep me up all night with their whines of wanting cookies!"

"Oh, Nori!" Both men heard two voices singing at the front of the bakery so they turned to see who it was.

Only to find Fili and Kili running into the shop, large smiles in place. "Did you find the cookies?"

Nori glared at them as Bofur waved with a smile of his own, "Hello lads! What brings you here?"

Fili immediately ran up to the cashier as Kili made his way to the viewing screens, quickly placing his face up against the glass to look at all the pastries that were on display.

"Oh, Mister Bofur! I didn't know you'd be starting work so early!" Fili said, standing beside a heavily frowning Nori.

But the blonde ignored his uncle's friend, choosing to instead pay full attention to their target.

Because even though Kili and he had come into the building under the pretense of getting chocolate chip cookies, they were really here to do something else. Heck, they'd even gotten Ori to help them by buying the last chocolate chip cookies.

"Yeah, apparently Bard liked me enough to have me start immediately. Today was my first day." Bofur told the blonde as he looked at Kili, who was drooling over all the different pastries he was seeing. "See anything you like lad?"

Kili looked up with a rapid nod, "I would like a dozen of your finest chocolate chip cookies!"

Bofur frowned softly and shook his head slowly, "I'm sorry, Kili. We ran out of those. But we have some very nice _double_ chocolate chip cookies still in stock. I'm sure I could-"

Bofur was not able to finish what he was going to say because of Kili's screaming.

* * *

Thorin was in the middle of a meeting with the father of his nephew's friend, Thranduil. They were discussing the terms they would both be agreeing on for their case when both of their phones began to ring.

"Excuse me, please." Both said curtly as they turned to their phones, knowing that it had to be serious if they had been called in the middle of a very important meeting.

"Hello?" Thorin asked with his eyebrows drawn in, only to hear screaming on the other side.

_"Thorin! Oh, thank God!"_ He heard Bofur scream into the phone, trying to be heard over all the noises of wherever he was.

"Bofur? What's wrong?"

"Nori? What are you doing with my son's phone?"

Both men asked at the same time, making them turn to each other. "I am guessing you can hear a lot of screaming." Thorin sighed, already having an idea as to what was going on.

_"Thorin, I don't want to the lads in trouble, but I'm worried that they'll cost me my job! Kili and Fili are both here! I called Ori and Legolas here to help, but they just made it worse! Kili, lad, get down from there-__"_ There was a crash from the other side of the phone call then a loud yelp, _"Mister Bard, I am so sorry for the lads!"_

Thorin could feel the anger welling up inside of him as he heard all of the sounds of struggling then he looked at Thranduil, who was glaring darkly himself.

"It seems like our children have gotten themselves into quite a predicament." He muttered, looking at Thorin with slight disinterest, which was hiding just how angry he was with all three boys.

Kili and Fili were known to always get in trouble. That was nothing new. They were just a trouble duo that didn't always know when to keep calm. But Legolas helping in their insanity was just unheard of.

"Bofur, calm down. Thranduil and I are heading down there right now. I will fix this, do not worry." Thorin promised and hung up, getting up just as Thranduil hung up on Nori.

"Let us go then. We can continue this meeting later."

Once both men were on the floor of the bakery they could hear all of the sounds of screaming and, really, it was amazing that the police had yet to be called to the place. Thorin entered the shop and was both amazed and angered by what he saw.

Kili was the first person he focused on. The dark haired man was on top of the counter, pastries in his hand which he used as ammo to throw at anyone and anything he wanted to. Then Fili was behind the cash register, handing his brother more of the treats to continue throwing. And Legolas himself was jumping from booth to booth, dancing away from all of the food that was thrown at him.

"Kili! Fili!" Thorin shouted in complete anger, managing to get the three men to stop what they were doing.

"Legolas! What are you doing up there!?" Thranduil growled, walking towards his son with anger clear on his features.

"Where are Bofur and Nori?" Thorin asked his nephews, who smiled evilly at him.

"They didn't have our chocolate chip cookies. They had to be terminated."

"No, we weren't." Nori growled, suddenly getting up from his hiding place beneath a booth to tackle Kili from the counter. "And you'll pay for what you did, brat!"

Thorin looked on in shock as Nori attacked both his nephews, but he was too worried for Bofur to really care about what happened to his nephews. "Bofur?" He asked as made his way towards the back of the shop, only to be brought into the closet as soon as he was close to it.

"I'm here, Thorin. Oh, thank you for coming!" Bofur hugged Thorin tightly, feeling some of the weight on his shoulders leaving him.

"I am extremely sorry for what the boys have done. It is not customary for them to do something like this, I swear." Thorin immediately began to apologize, only to hear a third person clear their throat.

"Oh, I know Mr. Durin. But the damages they have caused my business and myself are some I cannot ignore." Bard told Thorin in an icy tone, eyes narrowed at the shorter man.

Thorin looked up at him with a grim frown. "I know, Bard. And I really am sorry. Whatever you need me to do, I will do it. No questions asked."

Bard nodded and looked at the door in front of him. "First thing's first, get them to stop this nonsense. I will have no shop to run if they don't stop now."

Thorin only nodded and made sure to wear his best glare as he walked out of the closet once more. The boys would not be getting away with this.

* * *

"We're sorry, Mister Bard." Fili, Kili, Ori, and Legolas all chorused as they stood in a line, aprons on with different cleaning utensils in their hands.

Bard and Bofur stood before them with their arms crossed, frowns on their faces. "You have caused my shop quite some complications, boys." Bard told them, making sure to glare as harshly as he could.

"We didn't mean to..." Kili sighed. "I'm sorry for being so stupid. I know I crossed the line, but... I _really_ wanted some of your cookies, Mister Bard."

Thorin rolled his eyes at his nephew, believing this excuse was one of the worst he had ever heard, but didn't say anything. He stood beside Nori and Thranduil with his arms crossed, completely unamazed with the state of the four young men. How had they even gotten Ori to help them?

"I know my cookies are worth an arm or a leg," Bard told them, "But they are not worth a war. Now, I've already spoken to your respective guardians. You will _all_ be coming here after your classes every day of the week so you can work off the money you owe me. No one will be paying for you. You will work for the first time in your lives."

Coming to this decision hadn't been so hard. Both Thorin and Thranduil were tired of the boys running to them whenever they got in trouble and Nori had never really liked their extreme happiness. He had felt kind of bad for giving Ori the same punishment, but the lad had helped in the cause. So, as he had done so many times before, he decided that the crime completely warranted the time the boys would be doing.

"But... We have school..." Ori mumbled, eyes teary.

Bard felt his resolve soften at the look given to him, but luckily enough, Bofur stepped up with his resolve set. "Lads, you could have cost me _my_ job. Do you not understand that?"

Bofur was usually a very calm person. And extremely forgiving. But he was, by no means, a push over. He was not the kind to allow his friends or loved ones to walk over him. And what these lads had done was just a step too far.

"My first day on the job and I want to make a good impression. And what do you do? Start World War Three in a bakery!"

All four men lowered their heads as he scolded them, feeling bad for what they had done.

"Now you can start by cleaning the booths. Once they are as clean as they were on the first day, you may work your way through the floor to the counter. Then, once everything in the front is clean, you can help me start cleaning up the back." Bard told them, getting a collective groan from the men.

But they still got to their work and the older males were allowed to leave the bakery. As Bofur and Bard went to talk in the boss's office, Legolas punched Kili's arm.

"This is the last time I do anything you tell me to!" Legolas whisper-screamed as he began to scrape cake off a table, Kili rubbing at his arm as he did so to another table.

"You two owed us a favor. We called it in. You don't owe us anymore. As simple as that." Fili grouched as he started to scrub at the walls that had become casualties of their small war.

"Just _why_ did you two do this? What could you have gained from this other than a law suit and a restriction order from Bard?" Ori asked softly, helping Fili with the walls.

Kili pouted slightly now, "We... I... It's classified."

Legolas rolled his eyes now, "I didn't know your stupidity was classified. I thought everyone was allowed to witness it."

"Oh, shut up, you tree shagger!" Kili snapped back. "If you must know, Fili and I do not want Thorin and Bofur to get together."

Now Fili spoke up, "Warranted this was not our best plan, at least now we know to what degree our uncle would help out our friend."

Legolas and Ori looked at one another after the brother's spoke, shocked by what they had just heard. "You two are idiots."

Fili smiled softly at that, "Hey... You have to admit, that food fight was kind of fun."

Legolas frowned softly, "I hate it when you are right, Fili."

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	13. Chapter 13

"I honestly have no idea what those boys were thinking, Bofur. I feel compelled to apologize once more on their behalf-"

Bofur smiled softly at Thorin, raising his hand to cut the man off. "Thorin, I get it. Those boys... They are of another breed. I guess they were just excited about my first day at work."

Thorin huffed as he crossed his arms, feeling like he should at least call their mother to tell her what the boys had done. But, while he was angry, he wasn't suicidal. And telling Dis what her sons had done would mean having his own life come into question. And he didn't want that.

"It could have been that, Bofur, but that does not excuse their actions."

Bofur smiled softly as he sat in the chair in front of Thorin's desk all the while the other man took off his jacket and placed it over the furniture.

"They are already being punished, Thorin. There really is no need to get so worked up about it." Bofur chuckled softly, feeling a warmth spreading in his chest.

Here was a man that barely knew him, uncle of the boys that had wronged him, stating that maybe they had gone too easy on the boys. It really was quite sweet of him.

"Bard's already told me that none of my pay will be deducted because the boys will be paying with all of their hard work. There really is no reason to continue fretting over this."

Thorin turned to the smiling man and couldn't help but smile softly in return. His nephews had caused this man so much grief, still he protected them and tried to cull Thorin's anger.

"They are lucky you are so nice, Bofur. If it had been any of my friends- even Dwalin- they would be working twice as much to pay back." Thorin breathed and Bofur couldn't help but shake his head.

"Aye, that they are. But they're also lucky Bard happens to be quite the sympathetic and understanding man. If he had been like any other... Well, let's not think about that, shall we?"

Thorin nodded and glanced at the clock on his wall. He had cleared his schedule for the whole day after being told of the boy's actions so he didn't really have anywhere to be.

Well, he should take this as his chance.

"Bofur, after all my nephews have done, I feel like I owe you something. Would you care to fetch a cup of coffee with me?"

The usually happy man's smile faltered as he ran through the question in his mind, making sure he had heard what he thought he had. Thorin looked at him expectantly and he couldn't help but smile shyly.

"You don't have you feel obligated to do that, Thorin. It really wasn't all that bad."

Thorin shook his head, smile never faltering, "Believe me, it would be my pleasure to spend some more time with you."

Bofur's face- regrettably- became redder at the man's words, but he ducked down to make sure the older man didn't see his blush. "Aye. And you don't seem so bad yourself."

"Good. Now, let's get going."

The long haired man basically pushed Bofur out of his office at that point, more than eager to go out and really get to know this odd man.

* * *

Kili was grouchy. Not only that, he was also dirty, sweaty, grumpy, and slightly hungry.

"I am so going to make you two pay after we are done with this manual labor." Legolas hissed as he followed the brothers into their apartment, Ori following behind with his head down in dejection.

They had just finished their second day working for Bard and Bofur and Legolas was completely regretting having allowed the brothers to bring him into their completely stupid plan.

They had known it was stupid since the beginning, yet Ori and Legolas had still been roped into doing it because of that dumb debt they owed from before.

"Please, Leggy, no more talk of money. Uncle has been warning us of all we would owe Bard if he wasn't so forgiving and hasn't allowed us to read anything but numbers ever since the incident." Fili sighed, throwing his dirty jacket onto the couch as he made a bee-line to the kitchen.

Only to find someone there waiting for him.

"Which is a well deserved punishment if you ask me, Fili."

Kili's ears perked up at the voice and he immediately took off running for the kitchen, shoving past his brother to hug the intruder tightly. "Tauriel! What are you doing here?" He gasped, earning a chuckle from the woman.

"I knew you boys would be coming hungry so I prepared some food." She motioned the chicken she had done and Kili's mouth watered. "I also had a speech ready to scold you for your stupidity," She said, eyeing the four tired males. "But you seem to have learned your lesson." She smiled, only to receive glares from all of them.

"We are not in the mood for your humor, Tauriel." Legolas griped, sitting down in the island and preparing himself to finally get some food.

"Thank you for the food." Ori chirped as he took out the plates and distributed them, earning a smile from the woman.

"You are very welcome, Ori." She told him politely, then looked at the three others already seated and ready to eat.

They were all dirty, their long hair disheveled, and clearly they were all tired.

"Just what exactly were you all thinking forming a food fight in the middle of a café?"

The glares that were sent her way were enough to let her know the boys were not yet ready to explain their extreme stupidity.

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